


Uncharted

by lilgulie5



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Mystery, Romance, Unplanned Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-15
Updated: 2018-07-24
Packaged: 2019-04-23 12:00:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 21,576
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14332023
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lilgulie5/pseuds/lilgulie5
Summary: Jon and Dany are engaged and travel to Jon's family home in search of answers about the identity of the mother he never knew. How will the cope with what they uncover and discover along the way? Modern AU and a continuation of the oneshot "His Old Shirt".





	1. Prologue

She was up before Jon. Of course. Dany always had a hard time sleeping the first night in a strange bed. That fact, together with visiting Jon’s family in his childhood home for the first time was more than enough to make her toss and turn. Now that she was awake, her stomach felt faintly nauseous. She couldn’t say the same for her fiance. Jon was still blissfully asleep. 

Carefully untangling herself from his embrace, she slid to the edge of the bed and glanced around until she found a black tshirt at the foot of the bed. She vaguely remembered tossing it there the night before while they struggled- and most likely failed- to keep quiet. Dany wasn’t sure if it was the wine, the thrill of fooling around in the bedroom Jon grew up in, or a combination of the two, but once they had all gone to bed she couldn’t keep her hands off of him. 

She pulled the shirt on and stood from the bed, glancing at herself in the mirror. Her silver-blonde hair was a disheveled mess, but she smiled when she read what the shirt said. Property of Castle Black. Despite no longer being at the Wall, Jon still kept some mementos of his days of service in the prestigious Night’s Watch. She hadn’t noticed what it said last night when it was tucked under his black sweater. 

Jon’s room was unsurprisingly tidy, not that he’d been home recently. Everything had its place. He had an impressive number of trophies and medals, but they were neatly tucked further back on a shelf, behind framed photos of him with his siblings, and one prominent picture of Jon and his father Ned. Dany took it from the shelf and studied it closely. She couldn’t say that he closely resembled his father, but she knew where he got the inspiration for his current hairstyle. 

“That was taken the day I left for the Watch,” a voice from behind her said, causing Dany to jump. 

“You look so much younger,” she replied, setting the frame back on the shelf. 

“It feels like a lifetime ago,” Jon agreed. He put his glasses on and crawled out of the bed in just his boxer briefs. Dany smiled when he wrapped his arms around her from behind and buried his head in the crook of her neck. “Nice shirt, by the way. It looks good on you.” 

“You’re probably not getting it back anytime soon.” 

“I think I can cope. I’m going to jump in the shower. I’d ask you to join me, but everyone’s going to be waking up.” 

“Can I just run into the loo really quickly first?” Dany asked, meeting his eyes in the mirror. “My stomach isn’t quite right this morning. I think it’s something I ate last night.” 

“Sorry love,” Jon frowned. “Take your time. I’m just meeting Sam for lunch and I think Bran is tagging along.” 

“Thanks!” 

Dany turned in Jon’s arms and reached up on her tiptoes to give him a quick kiss on his lips. She grabbed her overnight bag and slung it over her shoulder before heading to the bathroom. She stopped just shy of the door and turned around. 

“I’m really glad we came here, Jon. We’ll figure this out. You’ll get some answers, I promise.” 

“Me, too Dany. Thanks, I know we will, too.”


	2. Chapter 1

Dany shut off the faucet and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. She hoped the sound of the shower had drowned out the sound  _ she _  was making as she heaved the contents of her stomach into the toilet.  _ For the third morning in a row… _

“What’s wrong with you?” She muttered aloud, chancing a glance at her pale reflection in the mirror. 

_ You  _ know  _ what’s wrong,  _ she thought. She had the symptoms, it was true. Sick in the morning, her period was late, beyond tender breasts that seemed slightly larger, but none of that should have mattered. It simply wasn’t possible. The doctor had told her as much when she was in high school. She had told Jon there wasn’t a snowball’s chance in Dorne that she could get pregnant. Surprisingly, he hadn’t cared. It was the reason they hadn’t bothered with condoms and why she wasn’t even on the pill. And yet...all the signs were presenting themselves. There was a chance she was pregnant. This was wholly uncharted territory. 

“Dany! Are you nearly done?” Arya pounded on the door, startling her future sister-in-law out of her reverie. “I’ve really gotta piss!” 

“Yeah,” she replied, clearing her throat. “In a minute.” 

She gathered her things and opened the door, smiling at Jon’s youngest sister. The nineteen-year-old glared at her playfully. 

“You know, I share a bedroom wall with Jon, right?” she quipped and Dany’s mouth practically fell open. “Don’t worry, I’m not a prude or anything. At least  _ somebody’s _ getting some. Pro-tip, try pulling the bed away from the wall a bit next time.” 

Before Dany even had a chance to respond the younger girl had closed the door. Ever since meeting Jon’s sibling’s Dany had been close to them. Sometimes she felt a pang of jealousy. Her own older brother, Viserys, had bolted from the last foster home they’d been in the day he turned eighteen, not that they’d ever been close. He still blamed her for their mother’s death when Dany was born and for their father’s nervous breakdown they eventually drove him to take his own life. 

Once, the Targaryens had been fairly wealthy land developers from Valyria, a place everyone referred to as  _ the Old Country _ . They had a good name, good breeding once upon a time, but since their branch of the Targaryen family tree came to Westeros things had changed. Her father had wantonly squandered a good deal of their money, land, and properties leaving his children with no inheritance to speak of bouncing from one family friend to another. 

Dany had been relieved to go away to college, elated that she even got into Westeros University. It was like nothing she had ever experienced, a real baptism by fire and a fresh start from her past of loss, bad boyfriends, heartache and pain.  _ If I look back, I am lost _ became her mantra and she set her sights on her future. She got involved in student government and volunteer opportunities, preferring to spend her spring and summer breaks on humanitarian aid trips. Her passion was helping women and children in need. Her senior year she was elected president of the student senate. 

All of that had changed her life considerably. She met some of her closest friends there, including Missandei, the girl from Naath who had randomly been assigned to be her roommate freshman year. She had studied International Relations and spoke so many languages Dany lost count. 

She even kept in touch with some of her professors. Professors Mormont and Selmy and even with a counsellor in the Women’s Center named Quaithe. All of them had left their imprint on Dany, but none more so than Jon. 

They’d met while she was on an aid trip to the far North to help the Freefolk- though some still called them Wildlings- settlements there rebuild after a brutally harsh winter. Jon had been a member of the Night’s Watch but was nearing the end of his required service there. Afterwards, he told her he planned to study law to become a public defender with his best friend, Sam Tarly. Now, he had just one year of school left and to pass his bar exam and he’d be set to join a practice or begin one of his own. 

“I thought you said you wouldn’t work on this trip,” she frowned when she returned to his room and saw him reading over a case study on his bed. She handed his neatly folded shirt back to him, but he shook his head. 

“Keep it,” Jon said. “Looks better on you anyway. And I’m sorry, I couldn’t help it.” 

“You smell good,” she observed, plopping down next to him. She ran her hand over his damp curls. “Did you shower already?” 

“Yeah, I went downstairs and used Bran’s bathroom.” 

Jon’s younger brother’s bathroom and bedroom were both located on the first floor ever since he was confined to a wheelchair years ago. He’d been paralyzed in a climbing accident when he was so young. Soon he’d be headed off to university, though he was still undecided which school he would attend. Dany only half-joked when she referred to him as a genius, but his near photographic memory gave him a leg up on many people. Not only could he remember almost everything he read or studied, he seemed to have an insatiable thirst for learning and knowledge. 

“That’s good,” she smiled, pulling the case study away from him and wrapping her arms around one of his. She leaned into him. “We should probably go downstairs for breakfast.” 

“We probably should,” he agreed. Nudging her with his nose until she turned her had and his lips found hers. “But then we’d have to get up and move.”

“Mmm but I prefer this.” 

“Am I your prisoner then.” 

“Not yet,” Dany smiled against his lips. She released him with a sigh. “Not until we say I Do, so your still got time to change your mind.” 

“No way, why would I want to do something like that? I wouldn’t have proposed if I didn’t mean it. I love you, Dany. Never doubt it. I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you.” 

“Jon Snow, you’re quite perfect,” replied, unshed tears gleaming in her eyes. “I love you more than anything.” 

“Let’s get breakfast,” he whispered, pinching her ass playfully and causing her to yelp. 

“You’ve never said anything more romantic to me.” 

Dany couldn’t exactly say she was hungry. Her stomach was still unsettled, but she got off the bed just the same and waited for Jon to join her. Part of her wanted to tell him what she suspected and another part of her wanted to keep it to herself until she knew for certain. She knew he wanted to be a father and though they had discussed the possibility of adopting once they were married and settled it killed her that she couldn’t give him a child. At least it had... Now she worried that Jon would be angry with her, that he would think she lied to him. He was going through enough with trying to track down his mother and she didn’t want to burden him with something she wasn’t certain of. No, she would wait until the time was right. 

_ You’re probably worrying yourself for nothing, _ she thought slinging an arm around Jon’s waist as they made their way downstairs.  _ In a week you’ll laugh at how utterly silly you’ve been. _

 


	3. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dany finds herself confiding in Sansa and Arya while Jon reaches a potential breakthrough with the help of Bran and Sam.

“Did you change your hair?” Sansa asked as Dany unzipped her coat. She was walking through the godswood near the house with Jon’s sisters and beloved dog, Ghost. It had been cool and gray when they left, but as the sun began to seep through the tree branches the forest floor warmed and their coats were no longer necessary. 

“Since I last saw you? Hmmmm I don’t think so, why?” 

“You just look a little different.”

“I probably just look tired, that’s all.” 

“No,” the redhead clarified. “Not different in a bad way.” 

“Just different,” Arya added. 

Dany stopped in her tracks and stared at the two Stark sisters. It took them a moment to realize she was no longer walking in stride between them and they both stopped a few feet away and turned to face her. Sansa and Arya were as different as two sisters could be and yet, they were also incredibly similar, but Dany knew better than to tell either one of them that. Sansa’s long red hair was braided neatly over her shoulder while Arya’s brown hair was cropped short, just long enough to be pulled back halfway. Sansa was tall and elegant, but Arya was short and quick. Both sisters were fiercely loyal to Jon. Despite being in an open wood, Dany felt cornered. 

“Thanks,” she said, ducking her head and avoiding their eyes. “But I really don’t know what you’re getting on about.” 

“Arya heard you throwing up in the bathroom this morning,” Sansa blurted out.

“And?” 

“And you barely pretended to eat anything this morning,” Arya added. 

“Like I told Jon, I wasn’t feeling well this morning. It must’ve been something I ate last night,” Dany said, perpetuating the excuse she had used with her fiance. 

“We all had the same thing to eat last night. Sansa made it. If it had been the food don’t you think more than one of us would have been sick.” 

Normally calm and collected under pressure, Dany felt like she was running out of options quickly. Jon’s sisters clearly suspected something or else they wouldn’t have continued their interrogation level of questioning. She weighed her options.  _ If _ she was pregnant, stress wasn’t good for a baby. Keeping the truth all to herself was nearly impossible. Had they been back in King’s Landing she had no doubt that she would have already confided in Missandei. As it was, Dany had tried to compose a text to her best friend nearly a dozen times but couldn’t find the right words to convey something so personal. What was more, she had scarcely been away from Jon since they left for their trip to the North and she knew Missandei would have called her the moment she read a text. So she kept everything bottled up tight within her. She looked down at the ground and collected herself before looking back up and Sansa and then Arya. 

“Alright,” she sighed. “The thing is...you see, there’s a chance that I might be...pregnant.” 

And then the floodgates opened. 

Dany did not give herself over to tears easily. Years of enduring her brother’s cruelty had steeled her nerves and emotions.  _ Stop crying _ , he would say.  _ We are the blood of the dragon _ . Whatever that meant. He said this whenever they would have to pack up their things and move from one house to another. When she was little, Viserys would tell her that they had to move because one of their father’s business adversaries had convinced their foster homes to give them up. As she grew older, Dany realized that it was Viserys’s erratic and sometimes volatile behavior that was the cause. 

“Seven hells,” Arya cursed. “Look what you’ve gone and done now.” 

“Me?” Sansa argued. “You’re the one who told me she was throwing up!”

Ghost ambled over to Dany and nudged her hand, as if willing her to stop crying. She wiped her tears away with the back of her hand and then ruffled his fur. He had taken to Dany surprisingly well when they first met. Jon had told her that Ghost didn’t like many people. He had been a rescue and Jon had taken him in when he was just a puppy. He was small and an albino so the animal shelter told him that the breeders probably didn’t think anyone would want him. Since that day, Ghost and Jon were nearly inseparable. 

And then along came Dany. Ghost didn’t take well to strangers, except for Dany and right from the beginning, too. It was something Jon had never seen before. 

“How about we head back to the house,” Dany suggested, bringing a halt to the sister’s squabblings. “Then I can explain more.” 

XXXXX

“Here,” Sansa said, handing Dany a cup of tea. “Drink this.” 

“Thanks.” 

When they had returned to the house Jon, Sam, and Bran were all still mercifully gone but Dany, Sansa, and Arya had still retreated to Sansa’s large bedroom. Since the death of her parents and older brother, Sansa had moved into the master suite of Winterfell. Really, it was only fair. As the oldest surviving child of Ned and Cat she had inherited the house and because she went to college nearby she lived at home and oversaw everything. While Dany and Arya tucked themselves into the soft sofa and chair, Sansa went down to the kitchen to prepare tea for them. 

“Does Jon know?” Arya asked. 

“No,” Dany replied, thumbing the handle of her mug. “I’ve only just admitted to myself that it’s a possibility.”

“How did this happen?” Sansa asked. “I mean...I know  _ how _ but you said-.” 

“I know, I know. I don’t know how other than I thought that it wasn’t something we had to worry about and so we weren’t ever careful. 

“You need to tell Jon,” Arya said softly. “He deserves to know.” 

“I know he does,” Dany admitted. “But I can’t. Until I’m certain I don’t want to tell him and get his hopes up.” 

“You’ve not taken a test yet?” Sansa asked. 

Dany shook her head and took a sip of tea. She had come close not long before they left King’s Landing. She had run to the store to pick up some last minute things for their trip and had wandered down the aisle with the pregnancy tests. It was overwhelming. The multitude of brands and types of tests had left her flustered and fleeing the aisle. And what if she had run into someone she knew? What if the cashier checking her out somehow knew her? What if it didn’t ring up correctly and they needed to do a price check? Instead, Dany bought what she came for and left the store without another thought. 

“Well then you  _ need _ to take a test.” 

“I know.” 

Dany felt like a broken record. Of course she  _ knew  _ that all of this seemed improbable, impossible even. She  _ knew  _ that Jon should be told, and she most definitely  _ knew  _ that she needed to take a test to confirm what she suspected. And yet...and yet a fear held her heart gripped so tightly in a vise that it nearly took her breath away every time she tried to think about any one of those circumstances. 

“Are you scared?” Arya asked. 

“Honestly? Terrified.” 

“Scared that it’ll be positive or scared that it’ll be negative?” 

“That’s just it. I don’t know.” 

XXXXX

“Are you sure about this?” Dany asked as she watched Arya unbuckle her seatbelt. 

“Absolutely. Look, we drove all the way to Hornwood for this. We might as well get what we came for.”

Once Dany had gotten word from Jon that he and Bran wouldn’t be back from their afternoon with Sam until later that night she was convinced by Arya and Sansa to buy and take an at home pregnancy test. They’d agreed that it would be better to drive out of town and when Dany still seemed hesitant about going in to buy the test herself, Arya had willingly volunteered. 

“I’ll be swift like a Faceless Man,” she had said. 

“Those don’t actually exists,” Sansa protested.    


“I mean that I’ll be in and out before anyone even knows I’m there.” 

That made Dany feel slightly better. Simply being with Arya and Sansa seemed to put her at ease. It was as if a small bit of weight had been lifted off of her shoulders now that someone else knew about her situation. 

“Take this,” Dany said, handing Arya a few bills from her wallet. 

“Gods, how expensive are those things?” Arya asked. 

“Buy more than one, idiot,” Sansa explained with a roll of her eyes. “Buy more than one brand.” 

“Gotcha, I’ll be back!” 

Within seven minutes- not that Dany was watching the clock- Arya was back in the car, brown paper bag sitting next to her in the back seat and Sansa started the engine and began driving back to Winterfell. Dany began drinking the bottle of water she had brought along with her. Within forty-five minutes they were back at the house, following each other back into Sansa’s room and closing the door behind them. Within fifty minutes they were all anxiously waiting for the time on Dany’s phone to tell them that three minutes had passed since she came out of the master bathroom. 

“I feel like I need a glass of wine,” Sansa said. 

“Or a cigarette,” Arya replied. 

“You don’t even smoke.” 

“Exactly, that’s how nervous I am.” 

“You’re nervous?” Dany chimed in. “It’s  _ my _ test. I feel like I’m going to throw up.” 

_DING._ _DING. DING. DING._

The three young women fell silent and merely stared at Dany’s phone until she turned off the alarm. 

“I can’t look,” she practically whined. 

“Everything will be fine,” Sansa assured her, placing a hand on her shoulder. “No matter what.” 

“I’m still not ready.” 

Neither Dany nor Sansa had seen Arya get up from her spot on the end of Sansa’s bed and stalk towards the bathroom. She came out holding the test in a piece of tissue in her hand. 

“It’s negative,” Arya said evenly, almost definitively. 

“Oh,” Dany heard herself reply. She felt like someone had ripped a bandage off, leaving her with a throbbing pained feeling.  She knew she should have been relieved, but instead she felt empty. She should have felt like a weight had further been lifted off her shoulders, instead she felt like she had been crushed under an immovable rock. “Wow... I mean that’s good news, right? I mean it’s what I expected, to be honest. I definitely didn’t get my hopes up thinking I might actually be pregnant, that the doctors had been wrong all along. I didn’t lie in bed and think about what our baby might look like or how we’d decorate a nursery or anything like that. It’s for the best anyway. Now we can just go right along with the plan like we always wanted to.” 

“Dany, if you’re disappointed it’s natural,” Sansa offered. 

“I was terrified. Terrified that for once I might actually get something I wanted so badly. Something I know Jon wants and it just kills me that I can’t give it to him.” 

“Well you can,” Arya murmured and Dany’s head snapped up. 

“What?” 

“You can give Jon that. The test is positive.” 

“But you said it was negative,” Sansa said. 

“I know. I saw it on a TV show one time.”

“Seven hells, Arya! Give it to me,” Dany stood and snatched the test from Arya so she could see with her own eyes that the two lines indicated that she was indeed pregnant. 

Thirty minutes, two bottles of water, a glass of wine for Sansa, and two more positive pregnancy tests later, Dany sat in stunned silence. Her mind spun in thousands of different directions. Part of it dwelled on the impossibility of it all. Another part on how this would change every part of their lives. Still another part on what she was going to say to Jon. 

“What are you going to tell him?” Sansa asked, sensing Dany’s thoughts as only someone as close as family could do. 

“I don’t know yet,” Dany admitted. “I don’t know how to tell him.” 

“But you  _ are _ going to tell him, right?” Arya asked. 

“Of course. Besides, he’s bound to notice it eventually anyway.”

“Why wait?” Sansa wondered aloud. “I don’t get it. You know he’ll be happy about it.” 

“I know he’ll be happy about the baby,” Dany said. “I’m worried he’ll be upset with  _ me _ . What if he thinks I lied to him? What if he’s mad about the timing? What if I lose-.” 

“Stop right there. Nothing is going to happen.” 

“You don’t know that.” 

Sansa started to protest but seemingly changed her mind. “Do you have any idea how far along you might be?” she asked instead. 

Dany let out a puff of air and tried to reckon the days in her head. 

“Not exactly,” she admitted. “I missed last month altogether. It would be due to come again next week so I guess I’m nearly two months late…” 

“I could see if you feel like you need to wait until you see a doctor before telling Jon,” Arya said. “That’s fair. But then you need to tell Jon.” 

“You two won’t tell him?” 

“It’s not our news to tell,” Sansa agreed. 

“I’m glad the two of you know. I’m glad  _ someone _ else knows. It was eating away at me.” 

“Your secret is safe with us for now. What are sisters for?” 

XXXXX

“There you are,” Dany smiled at Jon as he walked through his bedroom door. It was late and despite being wiped out from the events of the day she had wanted to stay up and wait for him. “You’re later than I expected.” 

After saying goodnight to Sansa and Arya she retreated back to Jon’s room, changed into his black Night’s Watch shirt, and climbed under the covers. She tried to read one of the books she brought with her, but found that her mind kept wandering towards whether or not she should share her news with her fiance.  _ It’s our news _ , she reasoned.  _ He’ll be excited about it. He’ll want to go to the doctor with you. Just tell him _ . 

“Sorry,” Jon replied, a glimmer shining in his grey eyes. “A lot to catch up on with Sam and with Bran.” 

“Don’t apologize. You look happy. Did Bran find something out?” 

“Not exactly, not yet anyway, but there is some good news.” 

Dany set her book on the nightstand and watched Jon as he moved about the room getting ready for bed. He pulled off his shirt and jeans, removed his contacts, and crawled into bed next to her. Leaning over he kissed her soundly until she pulled away. 

“Well hello to you, too. I have news, too.” 

“Yeah?” 

“Yeah, but you first.” 

“It’s all a bit complicated, but the gist of it is that Bran thinks he may be able to track down who my mother is by hacking into hospital databases.” 

“Is that legal?” 

“Not at all,” Jon laughed. “Sam and I will have to pretend it’s not illegal.” 

“How does it work? What is he looking for?” 

“He’s going to try to search for my name to start with and then narrow it down by area based on what we know.” 

“Which isn’t a lot to go off of,” Dany pointed out. 

“No,” Jon agreed. “It’s not, but it’s a start. Even if we can get it narrowed down to a reasonable number we have something more to go off of.” 

“You’ll have a starting point at the very least.”  

“My mother might be out there somewhere. She might be alive. I might get to meet her.” 

“That’s amazing,” Dany said, taking his face in her hands and kissing him. “Really, I’m so happy for you.” 

“Your turn. What were you going to tell me, love?” 

Dany wasn’t sure what changed from the time Jon walked into the room so full of hope for the future, but she could no longer bring herself to tell him about the results of the three pregnancy tests she took earlier that evening. He was so excited about potentially finding his mother and she felt her throat tighten at the mere idea of telling him the truth right then and there. Despite what Sansa and Arya had assured her of, she still worried about what his reaction would be. She couldn’t bring herself to potentially ruin the day he had with her news. 

“Oh…” Dany said, shaking her head. “Nothing nearly as exciting. We picked out bridesmaid dresses. That’s all.” 

“Well that’s great,” Jon smiled. “What color are they? You actually got Sansa and Arya to agree on something?” 

“Lavender, just like we talked about before.” she easily lied. “Sort of. They’re wearing the same dress in different style. Missandei, Sansa, and Arya get to pick out whatever style they want.” 

“I suppose the gents should start looking at suits.” 

“There’s still plenty of time. You’ve had other things on your mind.”

“I was thinking...maybe tomorrow...you, me, and the hot springs,” Jon suggested. “How does that sound?” 

“Absolutely lovely,” Dany smiled, at ease once more. 

Later that night while Jon was sound asleep Dany lie awake staring through the darkness up at the ceiling. His breathing was soothing, yet sleep still evaded her. Slowly, she slid her hand over her still flat stomach, something she hadn’t allowed herself to do until that moment. It was real now. Beneath her fingertips was a miracle, a child she and Jon had created, whether intentionally or not. She would tell Jon soon, she decided. When the time was right. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been trying to finish this chapter for three weeks, but work has been pretty relentless. Luckily, our huge event is over and my writer's block has lifted. 
> 
> Thanks for reading this chapter!


	4. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jon and Dany spend the day away from all of the cares, worries, and concerns of the real world and relax at the hot spring under the weirwood tree.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just switched this over from "T" to "M" due to the content in this chapter. It's not incredibly explicit, but I think it warrants being a little more than "T". I had hoped to finish this over the weekend, but Mother's Day activities prevented that!

_Are hot springs safe for pregnant women?_

Dany typed the search into her phone and scrolled through a list of results while waiting for Jon to finish getting ready. It hadn’t dawned until until she was on the verge of sleep the night before, but she thought she remembered reading something somewhere that pregnant women should avoid hot tubs. _Something about regulating internal temperature_ , she thought. She’d been excited when Jon first suggested the idea. The hot springs of the godswood were one of her favorite places in all of Winterfell. Soothing and relaxing, they were the perfect spot to get away to.

Breakfast that morning had seemed like a chore. Fortunately she was able to fire off a quick group text ot Sansa and Arya, letting them know that she had been unable to bring herself to tell Jon about the baby. She sensed their disappointment though neither of them was anything but encouraging and understanding. They had probably expected to be able to share in their brother’s happiness and instead were forced to remain tight lipped about the matter.

Finally she found an article from a seemingly reputable source that informed her that as long as the hot springs weren’t too hot- which the ones within the godswood were not- and she stayed in for no more than an hour at a time she would be in the clear, especially so early on in her pregnancy. _Well that’s a relief_. She shoved her phone into the bag she had packed with towels and a lunch and slid her sunglasses on.

“All set,” Jon said, rounding the corner with his guitar case in hand. He was dressed in a blue tshirt and grey sweatpants, his hair pulled back away from his face. No doubt it was an attempt to keep it from getting unruly in the steam from the hot springs. Dany felt like it was unfair how good he looked dressed so casually.

“Me too,” she beamed at him.

“D’you want to go to the springs closer to the house or the one further out?”

“The one further out. I want you all to myself, Jon Snow.”

“Don’t say stuff like that to me or we won’t even make it out of the house,” he replied, leaning down to steal a kiss.

The godswood surrounding Winterfell was all privately owned property owned by the Stark family. As it was, there was no danger of running into strangers while they spent the afternoon alone by the hot spring beneath the seemingly ancient weirwood tree. The Starks called it the heart tree. They walked the mile to the spring hand in hand in relative silence taking in the views around them.

After spending so much time in King’s Landing, it amazed Dany how fresh, crisp, and clean the air could be. It was revitalizing. Spending time with Jon in a place he so clearly loved did wonders for her own spirit. She felt safe and guarded by the trees that loomed above them, the oaks, sentinels, and soldier pines. Even though he’d spent nearly his entire life in the North, it didn’t seem like something Jon took for granted. He had been patient with her on their first visit as she asked him question after question about the strange terrain. Dany had been to many places, some of them more exotic than she could have imagined, yet the simple beauty of the North had somehow stolen her heart.

“Look! A snow shrike!” Dany pointed out. The birds were easier to spot in the winter when snows blanketed the thick forest. In the spring and summer the birds were nearly camouflaged by the foliage, unseen but still heard throughout the wood.

“First one to see a shrike gets to make the wish,” Jon said.

“Hmmmm let’s see…”

She closed her eyes and let Jon guide her as they walked along and she thought of her wish. She could have pretended to take a long time to make a wish, but deep down there was only one thing she would truly wish for now. _A healthy and happy baby_ , she thought.

“Done!”

‘What’d you wish for?”

“I can’t tell you,” she said. “If I tell you it won’t come true.”

“C’mon. That’s just superstition. Tell me,” Jon prodded, sliding a hand around her waist and tickling her lightly.

“No!” she giggled, squirming away from him. “If it comes true. I’ll tell you what I wished for.”

“Fair enough.”

“Are you going to sing for me?” Dany asked, slipping her arm around his again.

“No, I thought I’d just carry my guitar to help balance me as I walk,” Jon said sarcastically. “Joking. I thought I might play a bit. I feel like I haven’t been able to in awhile.”

“You’ve been busy with school.”

“I’m glad you talked me into taking the summer semester off.”

“You’ll be done in the fall next semester and this way you can focus on trying to find your mother.”

It was something they had talked about at length throughout his spring semester. If Jon took classes throughout the summer he would graduate and be ready for the bar exam at the end of the season. However, Dany saw the toll it took on him, the stressed he was constantly under. She felt that if he didn’t take the summer off for himself, to discover his family history, he might never get the chance or take the time. She wished she had been able to take the entirety of the summer off with him, but work only afforded her two weeks off. In less than ten days she needed to return to King’s Landing whether Jon could come with her or not.

They reached the spring beneath the weirwood tree before noon. It was larger than the three smaller pools that were much closer to the house, but shallow enough to sit in. Even seated, the water came up just below Dany’s shoulders. She watched as Jon shed his clothing on the blanket she’d spread out and stepped into the water, wading around a bit before settling down next to her. The heat from the spring caused her sunglasses to fog up, and she pushed them up on top of her head.

“There, now I can see you again,” she smiled.

“And _I_ can see you better, too.” Jon reached up and took the sunglasses from her head. Lightly tossing them onto the blanket. “You probably don’t need them anyway. The trees block out enough sun. Now they won’t just fall off into the water.”

“Planning on doing something to make them fall off?”

“Oh, I have a lot of plans this afternoon.”

“Care to fill me in?”

“Something like that.”

Dany leaned over and kissed him, emboldened by his words and feeling desire rise up inside of her. She moaned against his lips when she felt his hand glide across her inner thigh and his fingers dip into her folds and stroke her clit. He was pleased with himself for that, she could tell by the light rumble emitting from his throat.

“I’d say you’re wet, but that’d be a bit of an understatement,” Jon said as he left her lips and kissed along her jaw to her ear.

“Oh you’ve got jokes,” she replied, hips jutting forward as he slipped a finger inside, pumping it a few times.

“Would you like me to stop?”

“No…”

“What _would_ you like?”

His lips were on the column of her neck now, tongue flicking over her pulse point and teeth lightly grazing her skin.

“Don’t leave a mark.”

“Be serious.”

“I _am_ being serious. No visible marks. I need...more.”

Jon added a second finger as his thumb continued to circle her clit while he ducked his head lower, his beard tickling the tops of her breasts as they rose and fell above the water line with each of her ragged breaths. Dany’s hands held his head close when she felt his mouth close around the pink bud of her nipple. She dropped a hand beneath the water to reach for his hardening member, but he swatted it away.

“Later,” he murmured against her other breast now. “This is about making _you_ feel good.”

“Don’t be stubborn,” she replied, moving his own hand away from her center and straddling him in one quick motion. She grabbed his cock and stroked it a few times for good measure before lowering herself onto him with a low, satisfied moan. “Now we can both feel good.”

“You feel better than good, love.”

Dany grinned and rested her forehead against his, pulling back after a moment to gaze into his eyes. She was still for a few beats and then cupped her hands into the steaming water on either side of Jon and poured it over his shoulders, repeating her actions a few times. He nudged forward and placed a chaste kiss in the valley between her breasts, his hands roaming down her back to her hips. Fingertips massaged them, gently encouraging her to begin moving against him. They were silent, all jokes and innuendos pushed to the side so that the only sound was their heavy breaths and sighs, the lapping of the water over their flushed skin, and their hearts pounding in their chests and in their ears.

Everything else slipped away in those moments. All cares, worries, and concerns drifted and dissolved into the purifying water of the hot spring. This place was theirs. It was one of the first places Jon brought her on her first trip to Winterfell, but they had never shared it in this way before. Those in the North who were religious believed that weirwood trees were sacred. Dany had never really believed in or ascribed to any religion growing up, but she felt like the area was sacred, not because it belonged to the old gods or the new gods, but because it belonged to them. They were safe there, safe together, and the rest of the world could not touch them there.

She came before he did, the kind of pleasure that built slowly in her core and then emmanated out through every other fiber of her being, causing her to squeeze her eyes shut, bury her face in his neck and breathe his name as if it were some sacred hymn upon her lips. He followed her soon after, thrusting one final time as he spilled his seed deep inside her.

“Dany,” his whispered hoarsely against the shell of her ear. “Seven hells…”

“Mmmhmmm,” she agreed, only able to nod her head, the rest of her limbs weak, heavy, and seemingly becoming one with the water of the hot spring.

Some time later, whether seconds or minutes Dany couldn’t tell, Jon’s arms were firmly wrapping themselves around her body as he pushed himself up

“Hold tight,” he instructed her. “We don’t need either of us falling asleep in the water.”

Dany did as she was told as Jon stood up from the water, steam rising from their pink and flushed skin as it evaporated in the cooler air around them. She shivered involuntarily and goosebumps formed over her body causing him to chuckle. He knelt gently on the blanket and set her down, reaching for one of the oversized towels she’d laid out and wrapping it around her shoulders.

“You’ll feel warmed once your dry,” Jon said, grabbing another towel and drying off himself. He pulled his sweatpants back on and flopped down on the blanket, gently pulling Dany towards him. “You want your clothes?”

“No,” she replied, wrapping the towel around her body and securing it. “This is fine for now.”

She laid down on the blanket and reached for Jon, tangling their fingers together as he settled down next to her. He kissed her hand and pulled her closer under their bodies were molded around each other, a perfect fit. She felt warm and safe, wrapped up in him as the sunlight of midday filtered through the branches and leaves.

"Hey,” Jon said, causing her to open her eyes and gaze up at him. “I love you.”

“I love you,” Dany replied, craning her neck up to kiss him.

“That was…”

“We need to do that again. Sometime before we have to go back to the real world.”

“Definitely,” he agreed. “When your tits were floating in the water I swear they looked bigger.”

“That’s the most romantic thing you’ve ever said to me,” she laughed in an attempt to hide her discomfort at his words. She had noticed they were already slightly larger, another side effect of the new life growing inside her. “You’re daft.”

“I think I should take a closer inspection of them,” Jon said, reaching for the top of her towel.

“Well _I_  think you should play a song for me. You lugged that guitar out here. Go on, sing a song for me.”

“Which?”

“Surprise me,” Dany smiled, propping herself up on her elbow.

Jon kissed her forehead and sat up, reaching for his guitar case and taking a moment to ensure it was in tune. Dany remembered the first time she’d heard him play. It was while they were North of the Wall helping the Wildlings. After a long day of work they’d huddle around campfires drinking cheap beer and telling stories. One night, after much badgering from his friends in the Watch Jon pulled a guitar out of his tent and sang “The Night That Ended” followed by “The Bear and the Maiden Fair” which everyone joined in on. He never considered himself a musician and even less as a singer, but Dany loved his voice, loved when he closed his eyes as he sang, and loved even more when he sang just for her.

“I loved a girl as fair as summer,” he began to sing as he played. “With sunlight in her hair. I loved a girl as red as autumn, with sunset in her hair. I loved a girl as white as winter, with moonglow in her hair.”

“My favorite,” she said when he’d finished.

He started another song, one she hadn’t heard before. It was slow and sweet, but sad and she found that by the time he had finished playing there were tears in her eyes.

“You’ve never played that one,” Dany said, brushing a tear off her cheek.

“Only just learned it. Messed up a few bits,” Jon replied. “It’s called Jenny’s Song, whoever that is. Don’t cry, love. Want me to sing something funny?”

“No,” she shook her head. “I want you to come here.”

Jon set his guitar to the side and crawled back over to where Dany lay, his hand ghosting up her leg and over her hip. He bent down and brushed his lips over her cheeks, eyes, forehead, chin, and finally her lips. When he pulled away she pushed his shoulder, easing him back so that he was lying flat on the blanket.

“Do they ever hurt still?” she whispered, her fingertips tracing the red scars on his chest. They had faded from red to pink now. A few were just superficial, but two...two had nearly cost Jon his life.

Dany would never forget the night two years ago when she was woken up by her cell phone ringing. It had been Sam, frantically telling her that something happened to Jon. When she finally managed to make it from Uni in King’s Landing up to the North some ten hours and two flights later, Dany found out that Jon had been attacked. He was caught off guard and stabbed multiple times by a very young member of the Watch named Olly who they now knew had suffered from PTSD. He wasn’t in the right frame of mind when he attacked Jon. Some of the wounds from the knife had been superficial, but two had caused major damage. They’d lost him once on the operating table. Dany had missed that, but shuddered all the same at the memory of Sam telling her every excruciating detail.

It was at the hospital that she first met Sansa, Arya, and Bran, the siblings Jon had told her so much about. She had wondered if her then long distance boyfriend told his family about her, but as they all sat together in the hospital, waiting for news about Jon she knew that he had. Sansa had embraced her immediately, pulling Dany close as if they had known one another for years. Arya told her that she was sad they had to meet under such terrible circumstances and Bran, well Bran just looked scared and a little lost.

The incident and Jon’s recovery afterwards led him to be honorably discharged from his duties in The Watch. As a veteran they even covered the cost of the rest of his schooling and it was then that he decided to pursue a career in law, taking him to King’s Landing and closer to Dany.

“Not anymore,” Jon replied, closing his eyes when Dany’s lips replaced her fingers. “Especially not when you do that either.”

“ _Be serious_ ,” she said, arching an eyebrow at him while she repeated his own words.

“I am. They don’t bother me at all. Just eyesores.”

“I love them.”

“Why? All they do is remind me of that terrible night. I was just trying to help him.”

“Shhh. He was beyond your help, Jon. You can’t blame _yourself_ for what happened. I love them because they’re a part of you. Everything happens for a reason. I believe that. Even if we don’t know what the reason is at the time.”

“I believe it, too.”

“Although,” Dany began, her fingers drifting down his torso to the waistband of his sweatpants. “I’m having a hard time understanding the reason why you put these damn things back on.”

“Maybe because I wanted to watch you take them off.”

Her hand stroked him through the fabric before dipping below the waistband and palming his already hardening length. She wanted to tease him a bit, the way he had done to her countless times. Her fingernails grazed his member and she smirked as it twitched involuntarily. She placed open mouth kisses over his torso as she pushed the band of his sweatpants lower and lower until he had to lift his lips to help her pull them all the way down. When she blew across his cock he screwed his eyes shut and hissed.

“Tease,” he said through gritted teeth.

“You love it,” Dany purred, taking his cock into her hand and stroking it slowly. “How many times have you made me beg?”

“...A few?”

“More than a few. I don’t return the favor nearly enough.”

“Sure you do. There’s really no need.”

“Of course there is, _love_. What is it you call that little trick to do with your tongue? The Lord’s Kiss? Should we start calling this the Lady’s Kiss?”

Dany took him into her mouth then, head bobbing up and down a few times before swirling her tongue around the head of his cock, knowing exactly what he liked. She hadn’t always been so sure of herself when it came to sex, but a friend in college had given her pointers on just how to please a man and show him _she_ was in control.

“More like a Queen’s Kiss,” Jon offered. He had propped himself up on his elbows, but when Dany released him with a _pop_ his head lulled back a bit.

“Hmmm, I do like the sound of that,” she said, replacing her mouth with her hand once more. There was something somewhat exhilarating knowing that with just the turn of her wrist and a stroke of her hand she could reduce her normally calm, in control, stoic fiancé into a man who begged and moaned low in his throat. When she took him completely into her mouth her name came out in a moan on his lips.

“Dany if you don’t stop I’m going to cum,” he managed to choke out.

“And?” she grinned, releasing him. “Isn’t that the point? Making you feel good?”

“I’d much rather be buried deep inside you.”

Before she had a moment to think he had maneuvered them, flipping her on her back and pinning her hands above her head. He kissed her hard, tongue begging entrance past her plump lips which she easily granted. He left of trail of open mouth kisses down her jaw and neck to her breasts, giving fervent attention to one and then to the other. She squirmed when his teeth lightly grazed one of her nipples and bucked her hips up into his.

“Something you’d like?” he asked, hands still applying just enough pressure to keep her arms above her head, but not to hurt her.

“I think you said something about being buried deep inside me?”

He let go of one of her hands but she kept it in place while he grabbed his cock and slipped it between her lower lips, wetting it with her juices. He circled her clit with it but stopped short of sheathing himself completely.

“Hmmm I did say that, didn’t I?” he said, leaning close to her ear. “But I’m trying to take a lesson from you. Teasing you is just a little more fun.”

“Jon, I swear to the Seven…”

She was mid-sentence when he thrust into her unexpectedly, causing her to arch her back up off the blanket. His hands found her hips and a steady rhythm while her fingertips dug into his shoulders. She knew that neither of them would last long through this second round of lovemaking, Jon’s thrusts quickly becoming nearly as erratic as her breathing. Tomorrow there might be faint bruises dotting her hips and red welts across his shoulders and back, but she didn’t care. Each mark would serve as a secret reminder of their blissful afternoon by the hot spring under the heart tree.

“Dany…” Jon panted, jerking as he came. His thrusts slowed and he used his thumb to massage her clit sending her tumbling over the edge after him.

Her legs that had been so tightly wrapped around his hips fell away as she melted into the blanket, eyes closed tight as she rode out her orgasm. When Jon tried to move she held him in place, wrapping her arms around his neck and shoulders so she could savor the feeling of his gentle weight over her.

“Not yet,” she whispered. He dropped his head to the crook of her neck and shifted most of his weight to his elbows so as not to crush her.

“Whatever you want,” he breathed across her neck.

“I want to remember this moment forever.”

It was with great reluctance that Dany let Jon lead her back towards Winterfell when the sun began to set. They had slept away part of the afternoon, waking just long enough at one point to eat the food she had packed for them before lying back down and falling asleep once again.

 _We must’ve needed it_ , Dany thought as she pulled her clothed back on while Jon folded up the blanket. It had been a long time since she slept soundly and she knew the same was probably true for Jon. As she lie awake at night she would feel him tossing and turning next to her.

Jon wanted to be back at the house before it got dark. The woods weren’t a dangerous place to be at night, but seeing as they were further out the risk of running into an animal was higher. The sun had just dipped below the horizon line when they reached the back gate.

“There you are,” Bran said as he wheeled up to them when they came through the back door. “Did you get _any_ of the texts I sent you?”

“Shit,” Jon replied, fishing his phone out of his pocket and seeing he had not one but _several_ missed text from his brother. The first had come through hours ago. “I had my phone on silent. What is it?”

“You two might want to follow me. I got in.”

“Got in?” Dany asked.

“Hacked in to the hospital systems databases. We can start the search for your mum tonight.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've never been a writer who always ends chapters on a cliffhanger, but it seemed appropriate here. Brace yourselves, Bran and Jon are about to uncover the secret of Jon's past in the next chapter. Thanks so much for reading!


	5. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bran's searching for Jon's mother unearths surprising results, but that is not the only truth that is uncovered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks to Jenny and Sharon for being my sounding board and letting me bounce ideas off of them!

“How exactly does this work?” Dany asked Bran as she sat down next to Jon. 

After they returned from their relaxing afternoon at the hot spring they quickly put their things away and returned to Bran’s bedroom. The room was spacious enough for Bran to easily maneuver around in his wheelchair. Ned had spared no expense in converting his own office and part of the den into what it now was after Bran’s accident. Like the Master Bedroom upstairs that Sansa now occupied, it also had an attached bathroom. Shelves of books lined two of the walls and a large desk with two computer monitors nearly took up and entire third wall. He was a whiz when it came to computers, able to fix anything and hack into nearly anything he tried to hack into. 

“The hospitals in Westeros all have an interconnected database. If you are from King’s Landing but need to go to a hospital in White Harbor all of your medical information is available at the push of a button...for authorized personnel.” 

“And you.”

“Well yeah,” Bran said, granting her a rare smirk that reminded her of Jon. “I can put in Jon’s name and pull up all of his medical records which will hopefully lead me to the hospital he was born in.” 

“Seems simple enough,” Jon said, shifting uneasily in his chair. Dany reached for his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze of assurance. 

“Are you ready to get started?” 

“Yeah. As ready as I’ll ever be.” 

“I’m going to start by searching for your name and birthday and see what we find,” Bran told them and he rapidly typed information. 

Dany watched as a list of results populated on the screen and strained to read what any one of them said. She was too far away to truly make anything out. 

“That’s weird.” 

“What?” Jon asked. 

“Records with your name and birthday only go back as far as when you broke your arm as a kid. You were seven then.”

“Even visits to the doctor?” Dany asked. “Yearly checkups?” 

“We had a family doctor for that. He used to just come round to the house and do all of our annual checkups.” 

“I doubt Doctor Luwin would have digitized anything.” 

“Now what?” 

“Now we dig deeper. We know you were born in Dorne and that Dad brought you back North after the war. I can narrow the search down to hospitals in Dorne and then search for babies born the day you were born.” 

Try as he might every search Bran entered into the database for a  _ Jon Snow _ born in Dorne on Jon’s birthday came back fruitless. At some point Jon stood and began to pace around the room. It was something he did when he didn’t know what else to do, but couldn’t stand sitting still any longer. Sometimes Dany would watch him pace and walk through their whole apartment in King’s Landing while talking on the phone to one of his sisters or Bran. 

“There’s got to be something else,” he said. Dany detected a trace of irritability in his tone. 

“We didn’t consider the fact that you might not have been born at the hospital,” Bran replied sympathetically. “In which case, there may not be a hospital record for it.” 

“Sand,” Dany chimed in. “Don’t search for  _ Snow _ . Search for  _ Sand  _ instead and see what happens. If he was born in Dorne then they may have given him the last name Sand.” 

“Try that,” Jon instructed Bran but his younger brother was already typing. 

“There are five results for baby boys.” 

“See if any of them list a mother. Maybe we can link one of those women to Dad.” 

Jon’s hands were gripping the back of the chair he had been sitting in. Dany noticed that his grasp was so tight that his knuckles were starting to turn white. 

“Hang on,” Bran said. “This can’t...this record must be wrong.”

“Why?” Dany asked. 

“The mother listed is Lyanna Stark.” 

XXXXX

Dany glanced at the alarm clock on the nightstand.  _ 4:18 AM _ . Seven hours later and Jon had finally fallen asleep, head buried into her chest and arms wrapped around her. She had been absentmindedly brushing her fingertips across his forehead and into his hair. It was only now that she noticed his breathing had evened out and she no longer heard the occasional sniffle. 

She tried to replay the events of that evening over again in her mind. The day had started off so perfectly. They had a blissful afternoon together and now that all seemed like a distant memory. They had hoped Bran’s searching would give them answers. Instead it caused Jon’s world to come crashing down around him and left them all with more questions than they could possibly imagine. 

Further digging revealed that Lyanna died the very day Jon was born, a mere five hours later. It seemed to confirm that she was indeed his mother, which could only mean that Ned Stark was not his father. Their best guess had been that Ned was there when his sister died, or arrived shortly after, and for whatever reason had decided to raise Jon as his own. In all likelihood, his biological father had no idea Jon existed. Perhaps Ned had a good reason for keeping that a secret from everyone, even his own wife. 

Jon had grown so upset that both Sansa and Arya had heard him and came running down the stairs. They talked, argued, and researched for hours, still not reaching any definitive answers. Their father did not talk about his sister often, though they knew they had been close and he loved her greatly. He was especially guarded about his time in the last war and now they potentially knew why. The very last time Jon had seen his father alive, Ned swore to him that he would tell him about his mother. Then, Jon left for the Watch and everything changed. He believed the key to his past had been lost forever. 

It was past one o’clock in the morning when Dany finally coaxed Jon upstairs and back to his bedroom. He was numb and still looked half in shock. Dany herself didn’t know what to think or feel about any of it, but she knew that Jon needed her more. He seemed physically and emotionally drained, like a man sleepwalking. She helped him undress and then pulled down the covers, urging him onto the bed before changing out of her own clothes. She laid down facing him and took his face in her hands. 

“It’s going to be alright,” she whispered. 

And then Jon began to weep, harsh sobs wracking his body. 

Until then, Jon had not shed a single tear. True, he had ranted, railed, and yelled over Bran’s findings, but he had not cried. In the years that Dany had known him, she knew that he did not give himself over to his emotions easily. As she thought about it, she didn’t think she had ever truly seen him cry. 

“Sorry,” he managed to choke out as he ducked his head away from her hand.

“Don’t be.” 

“I just...I thought I’d find out who I am. Now I feel even more lost than ever.”

Dany’s words caught in her throat as she struggled to find the right words to say. She closed her eyes and rested her forehead against his, trying to take in all of his pain, but feeling utterly helpless.

“I wish there was something I could do,” she breathed. 

“This is enough,” he replied, tucking his head into the side of her neck. His cheeks were wet against her skin, but she didn’t care. “Can we go back to the hot spring?” 

“I’d love to, but I’ve never known you to shrink away from something, Jon.” 

“Never faced something like this before.” 

“You almost died…”

“Everything I’ve ever known up until this point is a lie,” he said, his voice beginning to quake again. “The man I trusted the most, the man I called Father lied to me my entire life.” 

“He might’ve had good reason,” she replied, her own lie gnawing at the back of her mind. 

“Well whatever it was, I can’t ask him now, can I?” 

“No, but you heard Bran. His friend Jojen’s father was in the same battalion as your father. He might have some answers.” 

“And what if I don’t like what we find? What if my father was a rapist or a murderer?” 

Dany was silent, unsure of how to answer him. After a few long moments Jon sighed heavily. 

“I’m sorry. You’re just trying to help and I’m being-.” 

“You’re still trying to take in everything that’s happened. It’s fine.” 

“What would I do without you?” 

“You would manage.” 

“I don’t know if you realized this, but I don’t open up to a lot of people.” 

“What?” Dany said, feigning shock. 

“So maybe you did,” Jon said glancing up at her sheepishly. “I’m so glad you’re here. I can’t imagine trying to figure this out without you.” 

“I can’t think of anywhere else I’d rather be.” 

“From the first time we met...I just felt like I could trust you. Even when you’d first come North and were still a stranger.” 

She hadn’t known how to respond to that so she merely kissed his forehead and murmured to him that he needed to try to sleep. Perhaps she had been naive to hope that all that Jon wished for would come true. It had seemed so promising at the beginning, like an adventure that would erase all of the years of heartache and hardship for him. She would have waited a day or two and shared with him her own news so that his happiness would be compounded. She had no idea how she would even bring up the subject with him after finding out Lyanna was his mother. Now, all of those hopes and plans she had made were dashed. As Jon slept quietly in her arms she knew that sleep would elude her for yet another night. 

XXXXX

“But you  _ did _ have a father,” Dany reasoned for what felt like the tenth time that week. 

The entire Stark household had been walking on eggshells, afraid to address the matter with Jon or even amongst themselves. Every mention of Lyanna and Ned ended in an argument.  Dany’s heart had dropped when Jon told her he wasn’t sure he could return to King’s Landing with her when she left at the end of the week. He understood that she needed to go back to work, but he supposed he would take Bran’s advice and seek out Howland Reed. He just wasn’t sure when he’d be ready to do that. 

“You had a father who loved you and cherished you. A father who protected you when your mother couldn’t. Ned might be your uncle by blood but he was your father, Jon.” 

“I know you’re right,” he replied, wiping angrily at his eyes. “But there was a part of me, a stupid naive part of me that actually thought I’d get to meet my mother after all of this was over. I had the best father ever, but I never had a mother. You know what that’s like. I know you do. If someone told you that your mother might be alive somewhere wouldn’t you get your hopes up, too?” 

“Of course I would.” 

“I wanted too much. I should have been happy with everything the gods have given me. A father, a family, friends, you. I shouldn’t have asked for anything more.” 

“Don’t be ridiculous. I wanted it for you, too,” Dany said. Tears began to well up in her own eyes.  “I know there was a piece of your heart that was missing. Do you know how badly I wish I could fill it for you?” 

“You have. You do,” Jon replied, pulling her close. “I love you so much.” 

She wrapped her arms around him. The past few days had been terrible for him. Jon would leave in the morning, tell her not to worry about him, to text if she needed something, and not return until late in the evening. The second night he came back Dany could smell alcohol and cigarette smoke on him and wondered if he’d spent the entire day at the pub up the street. 

“Oh sorry,” Sansa said as she rounded the corner into the lounge. 

“It’s fine,” Jon replied, pulling away from Dany. “We were just talking.” 

Sansa looked between Dany and Jon and back to Dany again, regarding their tearstained faces and glassy eyes. 

“Oh you told him?” she blurted out. 

“Told me what?” her brother asked. 

Dany felt like her heart stopped in her chest. She tried to imagine that Sansa had not just come into the room, misinterpreting the moment, and asked if she had told Jon the truth about the baby. Maybe she would have before they returned to King’s Landing, but after the news Jon had received from Bran telling him she was pregnant wasn’t on the top of her list of things to do. 

“N-nothing,” Sansa stammered. 

“There  _ is  _ something,” Jon replied. “I can tell.” 

“No, there isn’t,” Dany lied. “Sansa was just leaving.” 

“Right!” 

“Not until one of you tells me what’s going on. I swear to the old gods I’m really not in the mood to be given the runaround this week.” 

“It’s fine,” Dany conceded, shoulders sagging. “Sansa can leave though. I’d really rather talk to you alone.” 

She watched as Sansa mouthed an  _ I’m sorry _ before turning to leave the room. Part of Dany wanted to retreat to somewhere more private, but if she knew the Stark siblings then Sansa was probably already firing off a text for Arya and Bran to steer clear of the family’s lounge. 

“What’s going on?” Jon asked. 

“I’ve been trying to figure out how to tell you this,” Dany began, leading him over to the sofa. She sat down and tucked her feet underneath her body. Reaching out, she took his hand in her own. It was warm just the way his hands were always warm and she played with his fingers as she drew in a shuddering breath and tried to compose herself. 

“Whatever it is, just tell me, love.” 

_ If it was that easy I would have done that ten days ago _ , Dany thought. 

“I’m pregnant, Jon. I found out last week and I’ve been trying to figure out how to tell you ever since. I  _ wanted _ to tell you. I need you to believe that.” 

“Pregnant,” he repeated his brow furrowing as he watched her hands. “Pregnant with...a baby.” 

“Yes.” 

“I don’t...I mean, how? You said that you couldn’t. That’s why we were going to adopt eventually.” 

“I don’t know,” she shook her head. “I honestly don’t know. I’ve been feeling not great since before we left King’s Landing and-.” 

“You weren’t sick the other morning.” 

“No. I mean, yes. I  _ was _ sick, but not from anything I ate. From morning sickness. Actually Arya heard me getting sick in the bathroom. That’s why she and Sansa grilled me about it when we were out for a walk that day. They’re the ones who convinced me to take the test, even though I had suspected it for a couple of weeks.” 

“And you didn’t think it was important to tell me?” 

“I was going to tell you but that night you came home and said that Bran had made a breakthrough.” 

“The news you were going to tell me wasn’t that you found bridesmaid dresses, was it?” 

“No. I made that up because I didn’t want to ruin your night. You were so excited. I didn’t want to steal that moment from you.” 

“And since then? You had nine nights after that to tell me.” 

“I certainly wasn’t going to tell you after we found out Lyanna was your mother.,” Dany said defensively.  “I was trying to protect you.” 

“From what?” 

“I thought you would think I’d lied to you about not being able to get pregnant.” 

“I don’t understand how you could possibly think that. You should have just told me.” 

“I said that I wanted to.” 

“Oh right. Because you were  _ protecting _ me,” Jon replied bitterly. “Just like my father was protecting me all those years by not telling me who my real parents were?” 

“No Jon. I was going to tell you when we got back to King’s Landing.” 

“You weren’t protecting me. You were protecting yourself. You  _ know _ that I want children. What would possibly make you think that I would be unhappy about this? I thought you knew me better than that. I thought you knew me better than anyone.” 

“Jon…” 

He stood abruptly and paced for a moment before walking towards the doorway. 

“Where are you going?” 

“I just...need to be alone. I need to think.” 

“About what?” 

“Everything. Just...give me some space.” 

Dany flinched when she heard the door to the house slam. She was simply stunned. In the span of mere minutes what she struggled for days to tell him was laid bare in the worst possible way. She wished she could have taken it back, gotten into a time machine and told him sooner. Even if she told them while they were together at the hot spring she could have saved both of them so much pain. He had never looked at her the way he looked at her when he told her she wasn’t protecting him, but herself. He also was not wrong. 

_ What had he meant when he asked for space?  _ She thought as she wandered back to his bedroom. He didn’t want to be near her, didn’t want to hear her excuses anymore. Maybe it was best to give him what he wanted. She was due to leave for King’s Landing in just two days anyway, she couldn’t stay where she was not wanted, couldn’t bear to face him when he came home. Not knowing how long he’d been gone for or even where he went, Dany pulled her bag onto the bed and began to throw her belongings into it. She ripped a sheet of paper from a notebook and scribbled out a note to Jon.  

_Dear Jon,  
I can’t say enough how sorry I am for keeping the truth from you. You may or may not believe me when I say that I was trying to protect you. Even now when I think about it, I know how foolish I was. I’m so scared that I’ll lose this baby- __our baby_ __\- and I couldn’t bare to disappoint you that way.  
I’m trying to give you the time and space you asked for.  
I love you.  
-Dany

She left the note on his pillow and grabbed her bag and purse, wiping tears from her cheeks. The car she had arranged was already waiting in the driveway. Jon, Sansa, Arya, and Bran were mercifully nowhere to be seen as she crept out of the house and quietly closed the door behind her. Once inside the car,  she double checked the departure time for the flight she had booked to King’s Landing and slid her phone back into her purse. Leaning her head against the window she fought the urge to look back at the house, knowing she might lose the will to leave if she did. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want to truly thank everyone who has taken a moment to leave a comment here and on Tumblr. I've been writing fics since 2010 and I haven't been this motivated since 2011. It's a great feeling to be able to post an update just a week after the last one and I thank all of you for giving me that boost of motivation! 
> 
> Next chapter we'll get to see Missandei for the first time as Dany returns to King's Landing and needs the shoulder of a best friend to cry on.


	6. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Missandei offers Dany a shoulder to cry on when she arrives back in King’s Landing. Jon and Dany are reunited after he learns more about his biological father from Howland Reed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter has taken SO long to get out. Some of you might know that I’m a Children’s Librarian and our Summer Reading program just started. This means I’ve been swamped at work since Mid-May. It really drained my creativity, but I’m back! Thanks for reading! Please take a moment to leave a comment if you feel so inclined. Thanks as always to Sharon and Jenny for always letting me bounce ideas off of them! -Katie

_ Knock...Knock...Knock _

Dany fidgeted with her hands while she waited for the door in front of her to open. Glancing at her watch she realized it was the middle of the night and yet the text message she had received from Missandei when she briefly told her that she left Winterfell instructed her to come over straight away. A few short moments later she heard the scrape of the lock and chain and the door opened, revealing her closest friend. 

“Come here,” Missandei said, reaching for Dany and pulling her into the apartment. She took Dany’s free hand and grabbed the suitcase from the other.

“I’m sorry,” Dany replied. “It’s late. I didn’t realize…” 

“Stop. It’s okay. Now, I’ll put the kettle on grab the spoons.” 

“Spoons?” 

“When your best friend texts you late at night that she’s leaving her fiancé’s house,  _ flying _ home, and needs someone to talk to, you buy ice cream. I assumed the worst. Settle in on the sofa. I’ll be right back.” 

Dany did just as Missandei said and plopped down on the small sleeper sofa and pulled her phone out of her purse. She’d been reluctant to check her messages, knowing that she had seventeen from Jon, nine from Sansa, three from Arya, and five missed calls. She knew what they would all say. They’d wonder where she had gone and she honestly wasn’t ready to tell them just yet. The note she had left made the reasons for her departure clear. Jon had said he needed space and she was trying to give him that, no matter how much it hurt, no matter how many times she had doubted her decision along the way. 

She scanned over the texts. The ones from Sansa were practical. They were worried about her, would she please let them know she was alright. Everything would be fine if she just came back to Winterfell. The texts from Jon were decidedly less composed. They ranged from one or two sentences to paragraphs bordering on senseless. She was nearly certain he was drunk, or at the very least, had been drinking. Three times he’d told her he loved her, six times that he was sorry, but it was the text from Arya that made her realize she needed to send them  _ something _ . 

_ Arya: We’re worried about you and I’m worried about Jon. You don’t have to come back, just give him something.  _

Dany sighed and shot a text back to Jon, noting that his last message had simply read  _ Please _ . 

_ Dany: I’m fine. In KL again. I promise I’ll call you in the morning.                        _

_ Jon: Thank you. I love you. _

_ Dany: I love you, too.  _

She put her phone face down onto the coffee table and rubbed her hands over her face. She felt disgusting and knew she probably didn’t look much better. A shower was probably what she really needed- what she really  _ wanted _ after the flight. Airplane air really was the worst. 

“Here we are,” Missandei said carrying a tray with two cups and two pints of ice cream. She settled in next to Dany on the sofa. “Mint chocolate chip or cookie dough?” 

“Both?” 

“Shit, that bad?” 

“That bad,” Dany nodded, reaching for the mint chocolate chip and a spoon. 

“What happened?” 

“Oh Miss, where to I even begin?” 

“At the beginning?”

Dany spent the next several minutes filling Missandei in on all of the details through spoonfuls of ice cream, sips of tea, and more than a few tears. The more she talked, the more ashamed she felt about the whole situation, the more wrong she felt for hiding the truth from Jon. 

“Wow,” Missandei said.

“I know, I’m terrible.”

“No, you’re not. I’m not just saying that either. You’ve  _ both  _ been through it this week.”

“Which is why I thought he  _ actually _ wanted me to leave. I didn’t know it was just a figure of speech.” 

“How could you?” 

“The entire time that I kept it from him, I thought I was saving him from...what? Pain? Or was I just covering for myself?” 

“You’re not responsible for how he reacted. You’re only responsible for yourself.” 

“Yeah and I’ve gone and messed everything up.” 

“What’s the  _ real  _  reason you kept it from him?” Missandei asked, gently getting to the heart of the matter. “There has to be something.” 

“The real reason?” Dany repeated. “I’m massively terrified that I’m going to lose this baby.” 

It was the first time Dany had fully uttered her greatest fear aloud. She had nearly said it in front of Sansa and Arya, but Sansa stopped her short, not allowing the words to spill out of her mouth. Her mother had a history of difficult pregnancies that had not ended well. She had been pregnant over seven times, but she and Viserys were her only children. She had never known the cause of it, being too young when her parents died to know such details. Now Dany feared the same fate would befall her and her children. Perhaps she too would be doomed to have endure countless failed pregnancies. She wasn’t sure if she was strong enough to endure all of that. 

“Have you been to the doctor yet?” 

“No, there hasn’t been time really. I need to make an appointment.” 

“And tell Jon when it is?” 

“Of course. I want him to be there, to be part of this.” 

“You want this baby, right?” 

“Of course I do. More than anything.”   
  
“Then you need to think positively. Stop thinking about why it shouldn’t have happened and focus on the fact that it  _ did _ happen for whatever reason.” 

“Easier said than done.” 

“I know,” Missandei said sympathetically. “Maybe you should try to get some rest.” 

“I could really use a shower.” 

“Sure. I’ve put some fresh towels and washcloths on the counter. I’ll put the dishes away and tuck in for the night.” 

“Thanks again,” Dany said. “I don’t know what I would have done if I had to go back to our empty apartment alone tonight.”

“You don’t need to thank me,” Missandei replied, pulling Dany into a hug. “I know you’d do the exact same thing for me if the tables were turned.” 

XXXXX

When Dany awoke the following morning her head was buried so far beneath the blankets that covered her that she had a hard time being able to tell exactly where she was or what time it was. She listened for a moment and heard the familiar sounds of a  bustling city coming to life. The window must have been open a crack because she could hear the hum of the traffic, the busses as they started and stopped, the occasional horn or siren, and the clank of the elevated train line than ran near Missandei’s apartment. 

She loved the quiet and peaceful tranquility of Winterfell and the North, but there was something about the thrum of a city that beckoned to her. It had a heartbeat and a life that echoed her own. It was messy and chaotic, beautiful and wonderful, daring and scary all at once. She couldn’t imagine ever living too far from the booming metropolis of King’s Landing. While the North had stolen her heart, King’s Landing kept a tight grip on her soul. 

Reluctantly, she pulled the covers down and yawned, glancing around the bright room for a clock.  _ 8:38 AM.  _ It was both earlier and later than she expected. In truth, she hadn’t thought she would be able to sleep at all, but as soon as she had stepped out of the shower, pulled on her pajamas and collapsed into the soft mattress in the guest bedroom she was fast asleep. 

Dany left the guest room and padded into the kitchen looking for Missandei. On the counter she found a note next to a bowl of fresh fruit and a tin of tea.

_ Had to go into work today. Help yourself to anything in the kitchen. Eat  _ _ something _ _. Call Jon. Use your key if you head out somewhere. I’m just a ring away. -M  _

Dany smiled to herself and grabbed a bunch of grapes from the bowl, popping one into her mouth as she filled the tea kettle and set it on the stove to boil. She was somewhat relieved to have the morning to herself so she could call Jon in privacy. It would be easy to just go home to their apartment, it was only four blocks away, but it would feel odd and empty without Jon and Ghost. 

When the kettle began to whistle, Dany poured it over the lemon green tea in her cup. The smell of lemons always reminded her of childhood, though she couldn’t quite remember why. Taking a sip of the piping hot tea, she hummed in approval as the warmth slid down her throat. She knew she should eat more than just a handful of grapes, but it was hard to think of eating anything of substance when the threat of being hit by a sudden wave of nausea constantly loomed over her. 

“Morning sickness,” she scoffed to herself. “More like anytime-of-the-fucking-day sickness.” 

Still, she managed to choke down a piece of toast smeared with the most delicious orange marmalade Missandei had in the refrigerator. She dressed for the day and grabbed her phone. To her surprise there were no missed text from Jon and she briefly contemplated putting off the phone call until later in the day. Instead, she shook her head, found Jon’s number and hit  _ send _ . 

“Dany?” Jon answered after only one ring. 

“‘Morning, Jon,” she exhaled, not realizing she had been holding her breath. “How long have you been awake?” 

The line was silent for a few moments before he replied. “...Awhile.” 

“What time did you go to sleep?” 

“I didn’t.” 

“Jon,” she began to admonished him, but stopped short. “I’m sorry you stayed up all night.” 

“I’m not. Dany, I’m so sorry about everything. I’m going to get on a plane later today and come back to King’s Landing.” 

“You can’t.” 

“What? Of course I can.” 

“What about Howland Reed, your father’s friend?” 

“What about him?” 

“You need to talk to him. You need to find out what he knows.” 

“I can do that later.” 

“Jon.” 

“Dany…” 

“I’m sorry I left. I’m sorry I worried you and your family, but you stay in the North until you can get to the bottom of this.” 

“You’re not angry with me?” 

“No,” Dany admitted. “I was...hurt, but I know that I hurt you, too.” 

“I should never have acted that way. I’m excited. I’m  _ happy _ . This is what we wanted, to have kids, isn’t it?”

“Of course it is,” she smiled into the phone. “I’ll be waiting for you when you get back. I’m actually at Missandei’s now though.” 

“Why?” 

“Needed someone to talk to. Didn’t want to be alone.” 

“Ghost misses you,” Jon said. “You shouldn’t have run off on him like that.” 

“Because who’ll give him extra treats now?” 

“How am I going to make this up to you?” 

“You don’t have to.” 

“Yes, I do.” 

“Can we agree that we both behaved badly?” 

“That’s fair.” 

“Go with Bran and Sam and talk to Mr. Reed and then come back. Come home to me.” 

XXXXX

Dany stayed with Missandei for another night and they talked even more about the time Dany spent at Winterfell with Jon and his family over Braavosi that Missandei brought home from work with her. Dany was relieved that the smell of one of her favorite types of food didn’t make her sick. 

“You should be proud of me,” Dany said as she put the rest of the leftover into the fridge. “I made a doctor’s appointment for next week. Hopefully Jon will be back by then.” 

“You were busy while I was gone,” Missandei observed over the rim of her wine glass. “Did you...did you rearrange the books on my bookshelf?” 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about...anyway, I figured I should go see the doctor so she can tell me what I can and can’t do. I don’t want to have to google everything.” 

“Probably a wise choice.” 

“I had to look up whether or not hot springs were safe.” 

“And?” 

“Safe enough for the amount of time we spent in it.” 

“And what did you two do in said hot spring?” Missandei asked, arching an eyebrow. 

“You know,” Dany replied with a sheepish grin. “ _ Many things _ .” 

XXXXX

Work was a welcome distraction for Dany when she returned in the following days and her life slipped back into a routine. It was so much easier to forget about her own problems when she was helping other women sort out theirs. She half regretting telling Jon to stay at Winterfell until he got more answers. Despite the fact that they texted and spoke on the phone each night she missed him fiercely. It was the longest they had been apart from one another since he had come to King’s Landing from the Wall. 

She felt selfish wanting him home with her, especially when she was the one who left in the first place.  _ If I had only stayed _ , she thought before remembering that she had planned to come back to King’s Landing no matter what. She only had so much time off and between the days she took off for their trip to Winterfell and their Honeymoon she couldn’t afford to take more time off at the moment. 

As Dany left the King’s Landing Woman’s Center and rode the elevated train back to the stop closest to her apartment she resolved to relax with a nice bath and a phone call to Jon before falling asleep to whatever home design or baking show she could find on television. When she slid the key into the lock she realized it was already unlocked and cursed under her breath for forgetting to lock the door before she left. 

Stepping into the apartment and pushing the door closed, she nearly dropped her purse as Ghost practically flew at her, knocking her small frame against the door in excitement. 

“Ghost!” Jon called as he rushed in from the kitchen. “Down boy! Seven hells, give her a chance to breathe.” 

“You’re back!” she exclaimed, ruffling the soft white fur behind Ghost’s ears. 

“Thought we’d surprise you,” he replied, closing the distance between them. 

“You did just that. This is the best surprise.” 

Dany sniffed the air, the delightful smells of garlic and herbs wafting in from the kitchen making her stomach rumble in the best possible way. Though she normally did most of the cooking, Jon was no slouch when it came to preparing meals he grew up with in the North. 

“Did you cook for me?” 

“I might have. I know you’ve probably had a long day and I didn’t want to waste any time by having to go out to get something. It’s almost done.” 

“It smells heavenly. Come here,” she said stepping towards him and reaching her hand out. He met her halfway and wrapped his arms around her and drawing her in close for a kiss. 

“Gods I missed you,” he murmured when their lips parted. “I acted so stupidly.” 

“Stop. I told you on the phone the other night that I’m not upset with you.” 

“I’m upset with  _ myself _ . I know I’ve said it on the phone, but I’m sorry for hurting you and for pushing you away. You were right, I acted badly.” 

“We  _ both _ did. I should have trusted you, should have trusted that you would be able to handle everything.” 

Jon brushed his knuckles across her still flat stomach and the corner of his mouth twitched up into a smile. 

“Can we have a do over?” he asked. 

“What?” Dany nearly laughed. 

“Tell me you’re pregnant again. Please?” 

She cocked her head to the side and gazed at him quizzically for a moment before nodding in agreement. 

“Jon,” she began, covering his hand with her own. “I have something wonderful to tell you. We’re going to have a baby.” 

He glanced down at their hands and when he lifted his head to look at her there were tears glistening in his dark grey eyes. “That’s the best news you could have ever given me, love. I can’t even say how happy I am about it. I love you so much.” 

“I love you, too,” she replied wrapping her arms around his neck once again. She breathed in his scent, letting the essence of him fill her lungs and her heart. “Jon, there’s something else.”

“What’s that?” he asked. 

“I think dinner is about to burn.” 

“ _ Shit!”  _

Dany had to stifle a laugh as Jon bolted into the kitchen. “You save our dinner, I’m going to change into something more comfortable.” 

“I can’t be that bad if the smoke alarm hasn’t gone off yet, right?” he called back. 

Changing out of her dress shirt and skirt, Dany slipped into a pair of dark grey yoga pants and a deep burgundy v-neck t-shirt. Summer was beginning to descend upon the city. So far the apartment had been cool enough for her with just the windows open, but she knew that Jon would want to turn on the air conditioning before long. A true Northerner, he had little patience or tolerance for heat, especially at night. When he was trying to sleep, the colder it was, the better. At least she had him to keep her warm. 

“It looks like you managed to salvage something,” she smiled, walking into the kitchen just as Jon was setting her plate on the table. 

“My chicken is a little burnt on the bottom, but yours and the veggies are all just fine. Good thing you said something when you did.” 

“The perks of having a heightened sense of smell in pregnancy.” 

“Is that a thing?” 

“Mmmhmmm. For better or worse I just smell...everything now.” 

“You have, like... _ superpowers _ .” 

“Hardly!” Dany laughed, cutting into her chicken. “Unless you count waves of nausea superpowers.” 

“How is it?” Jon asked as she took a bite. 

“Perfect. The best tasting thing I’ve eaten all week and that includes the Braavosi Missandei and I had the other night.” 

“I’m glad.” 

“So…” Dany began tentatively. “You met with Mr. Reed?” 

“Uhhh yeah, we did. Spent the whole day down at his place in Greywater.” 

“And?” 

“I thought all of this couldn’t get anymore fucked up,” he said and took a swig of the beer in front of him. “I was wrong.” 

“That doesn’t sound good. Did he know who your father is?” 

“According to him my biological father is Rhaegar Togarion.” 

“I’m sorry, what?  _ The _ Rhaegar Togarion? The one who’s running for mayor of King’s Landing against Cersei Lannister?” 

“Yeah. That’s the one.” 

“How? I mean... _ how? _ ” 

“You know the Harrenhal Music Festival?” 

“Of course,” Dany nodded. 

“Apparently just like now everyone who is anybody went. My dad, I mean Ned, and his family even came down from Winterfell to go. They were all at a concert for a band called the Sevenstrings or something. You know how concerts can get when the drinks are flowing...afterwards they all hung out together. My mother was visiting Dad, Brandon, and Howland at university. Rhaegar, his wife Elia Martell, her best friend Ashara Dayne, and some other people from King’s Landing were all there. I guess one thing led to another.” 

“Are you saying you were conceived at a music festival?” 

“Fuck no,” Jon scoffed. “The dates don’t match up. Whatever happened they kept in touch I suppose. Howland said my mother and Rhaegar basically ran away together right around the time the war broke out. I don’t even think Howland had all of the details.” 

“Did he say if Rhaegar knew about you?” 

“He didn’t know. He went with my Dad to the hospital in Dorne and Rhaegar was nowhere to be found. Probably for the best. Dad would’ve killed him.” 

“What are you going to do?” Dany asked, tentatively reaching across the table for Jon’s hand. “How much further do you want to take this?” 

“As far as I need to,” he replied. “Until my questions are answered. I need to know if he knew about me and if he did, I want to know why he didn’t want me.” 

“Okay, then we’ll figure out how to make that happen.” 

“Thanks.” 

Dany couldn’t imagine what must be going on in Jon’s mind. She never had an easy childhood, but she never had to question who she was or where she came from. Jon had spent his entire life thinking he Ned Stark’s son and now all of that had changed in an instant. Not only was his father still  _ alive _ but he was a prominent figure in King’s Landing. 

Despite being secluded in the northern reaches of Westeros, the Starks were from what Dany would have called  _ old money _ . Nearly every family in Westeros had suffered great losses during the war, but the Starks had managed to fair better than some. When Ned Stark, his wife Catelyn and their eldest son had tragically died a few years ago they had left the Stark siblings, even Jon, with inheritances to allow them to live comfortably. The more she thought about it, the less surprised she was that the Starks had run in the same circle for a time as the Togarions. 

Everyone in Westeros knew of the Togarion family. They were a family of politicians and community leaders who hailed from the very same parts of the Old Country as Dany’s own family. Back across the sea they had been known as the Togarion Bar Emmons but when their patriarch moved to Westeros he dropped the Bar Emmon in favor of the shorter and more succinct Togarion. Once, the Togarions and the Lannisters from the metropolis of Casterly Rock in the west had been great friends and allies, but that, like so many other things, had all changed during the war. 

Somehow, Cersei Lannister had weasled her way into public office and was currently succeeding in bleeding King’s Landing dry. She cut funding for programs that would benefit the public good and social services all the while lining the purses and pockets of her own wealthy friends and for that reason Dany hated her. Though she had never met Rhaegar Togarion, she had seen him speak and felt that he cared more about the people of King’s Landing than he did for his own public image. 

“Jon, why don’t you let me tidy up the dishes and you can go relax.” 

“The dishes can wait,” he said as he rose from his chair and pulled Dany to her feet. “We haven’t had our dessert yet.” 

XXXXX

“Are you going to come back up here?” Dany asked, brushing his fingertips over Jon’s temple. His head was resting on her bare stomach as he traced nonsensical patterns across her skin. 

“Do I have to?” he replied, stealing a glance up at her. 

“It’s just that you’re so hard to kiss that far away.” 

“When do you think we’ll be able to tell?” 

“Tell what?” 

“That there’s a baby in here.” 

“In a month or so? In a rush for me to get fat?” 

“You won’t be fat,” Jon murmured. “You’ll be sexy. I  _ told  _ you your tits were bigger.” 

“Weirdo,” Dany laughed. “Come up here and kiss me, Jon Snow.” 

He pushed himself up just far enough for her to bend down and kiss him and when they broke apart he rested his chin on her shoulder. 

“How do you think it happened? I mean we haven’t really ever been that careful. Why now?” 

“You must have magic swimmers or something.” 

“Don’t let that get out,” Jon laughed. “Gendry and the boys will start calling me Magic Cock or something.” 

“It does have a particular ring to it,” Dany grinned. “But I really don’t know. I haven’t the faintest idea. Maybe the doctor can tell us more next week.” 

“Oh! I nearly forgot. I got something for the baby.” 

Jon sprang up from their bed and padded across the room in his black boxer briefs to where his suitcase lay in front of the closet. He hadn’t even bothered to unpack it. Dany pulled the covers around her as she sat up in bed, watching him dig through the suitcase until he found what he was looking for. Grabbing a small gift bag, he carried it back to the bed and placed it in front of her. 

“You got something for the baby already?” she asked, raising an eyebrow as she began pulling out the tissue paper.

“Well, Sansa helped me with it.” 

Wrapped in tissue paper the color of fresh butter was the smallest baby onesie Dany had ever seen. It was heather grey with a small wolf cub graphic below words that read  _ Born To Lead the Pack.  _ She traced the design with her finger and felt tears begin to well up in her eyes. 

“You Starks and your love of wolves,” she smiled as a tear slid down her cheek. “It’s perfect. I love it.” 

The mattress dipped as Jon sat next to her on the bed. He reached over and brushed his thumb across her cheek, wiping the tear away. Leaning over he kissed her, chastely at first and then deepening it when she showed no sign of breaking the kiss. She opened her mouth to his exploring tongue and reached blindly to set the onesie on the nightstand as Jon pulled her down into the bed for another round of lovemaking. 

“You know, it’s funny,” he said sometime after. Dany wasn’t quite sure what time it was, but the moonlight had already begun to filter through the slit in the drapes that covered the windows.

“What is?” she asked. They were facing one another, both fighting off the sleep that tried to wash over them. 

“In a lot of ways my life is going to shit. Found out that my mum is dead, is the sister of the man I thought was my dad. Found out that my real dad is some politician who probably has no idea I’m his son, who’s got a family of his own. It’s crazy. And in the midst of all this shit comes this...this...miracle. That’s what this is. This is what’s important in my life. Right here. Don’t let me forget that.”

“I won’t. On one condition.” 

“What’s that?” 

“Don’t let me push you away again. I know I’m good at it. I’ve spent so much of my life trying to get by on my own that I’ve forgotten that being alone, doing things on my own doesn’t make me any stronger. We’re getting married. I’ve chosen to spend my life with you and that means sharing everything with you.” 

“Deal,” Jon agreed, kissing her nose. “About that marriage thing...” 

“You haven’t changed your mind have you?” 

“Don’t be daft. Quite the opposite really.” 

“Oh?” 

“Why are we waiting for some arbitrary day months from now that we picked out half a year ago?” 

“Because that’s when we booked the venue? Fall is when Rhaenys’ Hill is supposed to be the most beautiful.” 

“I don’t want to wait that long. I’d marry you tomorrow if I could.” 

“Jon…” Dany said hesitantly. 

“Hear me out, love. Let’s get married this summer at Winterfell. Let’s invite our closest family and friends and make this about  _ us _ . We can have a small reception at the house.” 

“And for the ceremony?” She was starting to warm to the idea. They may have booked the venue, and might very well lose part of their deposit, but they hadn’t booked a caterer or florist yet. The idea of not spending the next six months planning a larger wedding was appealing. 

“What’s our favorite spot at Winterfell?” 

“Our heart tree.” 

Jon nodded. “What do you say?” 

“Are you asking me to marry you again?” 

“Do you want me to get down on bended knee again?” 

“No need. I say yes,” Dany beamed, her smiled lighting up her whole face. “Let’s do it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The conundrum of what to do about Jon’s father was one that was solved purely by accident. I wanted it to be Rhaegar without Rhaegar being related to Dany. While listening to the wonderful Roy Dotrice narrate The World of Ice and Fire I heard him mention a Togarion Bar Emmon for the first time. At first I thought he said “Targaryen” until I went and looked it up in the physical book and found the spelling “Togarion”. The original Togarion was an Andal who established his own Kingdom on Massey’s Hook and was known as Togarion the Terrible.


	7. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dany and Jon attend their first doctor's appointment, they discuss plans for the future, and Dany is paid a visit by an unexpected person from her past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait between the last chapter and this new one! Luckily, I was on vacation last week and had a chance to get a LOT of writing done. I hope you enjoy! -Katie

Dany rolled over in bed to find the spot that Jon usually occupied empty. It wasn’t even warm so she gathered that he must have been up early. She listened for the telltale sounds of the shower running, but the entire apartment was quiet. 

“Jon?” she called out sleepily. “Ghost?” 

Neither her fiancé or his dog came into the bedroom and so Dany pushed the covers off, swung her legs out of bed and placed her feet on the cool wood floor. She stretched her arms high above her head and cracked her neck, sighing from the relief it brought. Sometimes she slept so soundly that her arms, back, and neck were sore in the morning. She reached for her phone and found a text message from Jon. 

_ Jon: Out for a run with Ghost. We’re bringing back breakfast. _

_ Perfect, _ Dany thought, checking the time Jon sent the message. She had just enough time to hop into the shower. 

Dany walked into the bathroom and turned on the tap, adjusting the temperature and letting the water run while she stripped off her pajamas. When the water was hot enough, she stepped into the shower, letting the streams of water wash over her head, shoulders, and back. She made quick work of washing her hair with the thought of Jon bringing breakfast home with him fresh in her mind. 

Today was her first doctor’s appointment and she couldn’t help but feel nervous. It was a great relief to her that Jon was home once again, they had mended their relationship, and no secrets hung between them anymore. She had been so foolish to keep it from him to begin with. They were getting married in just two month’s time and now they would share the burden of whatever came their way.    
  
Dany closed her eyes as she rinsed the conditioner from her hair. Turning to face the spray of water, she reached for her body wash when she felt a cool rush of air on her back. She glanced over her shoulder and jumped when she saw Jon entering the shower. He must have noticed her surprise because he reached out to steady her, making sure she did not lose her balance. 

“What are you doing?” she exclaimed. 

“We just got back from the run so I thought I’d take a shower. When I saw you were already in here I thought you might like some company.” 

“Well yes, but-” 

“Everything after the word  _ but _ is horseshit,” he reminded her with a smirk. 

“ _ But _ we have a doctor’s appointment today.” 

“And?” 

“And there’s no time for that.” 

“There’s always time for that love, but you’re going to be stubborn at least let me help you wash up.” 

She hated herself just slightly when her eyes drifted over his body. The lean muscles of his chest and abs clearly defined and tempting her gaze lower. Jon took the loofa from her hand and lathered the soap until it foamed and then motioned for her to turn around. When she had done so he began to wash her shoulders and back, followed by each of her arms in turn. The loofa slipped around to her front, brushing the soapy liquid lightly over one breast and then the other. Dany took a step back, bringing their bodies closer together and soon the sponge was abandoned and replaced with his hands. He kept his touch on her tender breasts light, kneading them softly and teasing her nipples until they tingled under his touch. One hand slid down her still flat belly, past her damp curls and cupped her mouth.

His nose nuzzled her neck as his dipped a finger into her folds and circled her clit. She moaned and leaned back against him, feeling his stiffening cock against her backside. Wanting to give him as much pleasure as he gave to her she reached behind her and wrapped her fingers around his shaft. Almost in tandem they stroked and massaged one another until they both came, the sounds their climaxes elicited drowned out by the thrum of water from the shower. 

Dany’s legs felt like jelly and the once soothing heat of the steaming water almost became too much for her. Had it not been for Jon’s strong arms around her for support she may very well have collapsed into a puddle on the floor of the bath. 

When they had finished showering, they dressed and ate the breakfast Jon had brought back with him after his run. He had picked up some chocolate croissants from their favorite bakery. It was close to their apartment, but also far enough away to prevent her from indulging and eating there every morning. 

“Are you ready to go?” she asked, wiping the chocolate from her fingers with a napkin. 

“Yeah,” Jon replied, tidying up and placing their cups into the sink. “Relax, we won’t be late.” 

“Relax? Easy for you to say.”

“Hey, I know you’re nervous. That’s why I hopped into the shower with you. I thought it might help take your mind off of things.” 

“Well it worked, for the time, but now I feel like a hot mess again,” she admitted. “I can’t tell if I need to throw up because I’m nervous, because of morning sickness or both.” 

“Sorry,” Jon winced. 

“It’s not your fault. I mean, it  _ is _ partially your fault, but you know what I mean.” 

She grabbed her purse and lead the way out of their apartment and took the stairs down to the street. 

“What if something’s wrong? What if this is some cruel joke my body has been playing on me?”

“Complete with morning sickness?” Jon asked incredulously. 

“Maybe?” 

“No. Everything will be fine. You’ll see.” 

“Easy for you to say.” 

Jon stopped in his tracks and pulled Dany off to the side of the walk. 

“No. Not easy for me to say. I know I’m not the one who’s pregnant, but I do know that we made a miracle. I know that I’m just as scared about this as you are. But I’m healthy and you’re healthy. We have every reason to believe the baby is healthy until we find out otherwise.” 

“Sometimes you’re logic is infuriatingly reassuring.” 

“I’ll take that as a compliment.” 

After the reached the doctor’s office and checked in at the front desk Jon held Dany’s hand while they waited for her name to be called. She was grateful he was there with her and even grateful for his optimistic confidence. He was a self-assured and yet a humble person at the same time. He  was capable and excelled in so many things that he should have had an ego the size of the Titan of Braavos and yet he didn’t. She supposed some of that had to do with growing up a bastard his entire life. Jon didn’t suffer fools. He knew when he was right about something and although he didn’t brag about the fact, he also didn’t give in easily. Whenever one of her insecurities reared its ugly head, Jon was there to give her the confidence she needed to chase them away. 

“Daenerys?” the nurse called from a doorway. 

“That’s me,” she replied. 

“We’re ready for you now. Right this way.” 

Dany and Jon followed the nurse into an exam room where she was asked to change into a gown. Her height, weight, and vitals were taken before the kind-faced nurse took several vials of blood. 

“Okay, Doctor Redwyne will be in to see you shortly.” 

“How are you doing?” Jon asked when the nurse stepped out of the room. 

“I’m okay, why?” 

“You’re doing that thing where you chew on your lip.” 

“This is fine,” Dany assured herself. “Everything is going just fine.” 

Within minutes, Doctor Redwyne came into the exam room. She was an older woman who had been one of the first female OBGYNs in King’s Landing. She’d even delivered Dany and Viserys. She had been her doctor since secondary school and knew Dany’s history. She felt beyond comfortable with her and from the moment she stepped into the room, Dany began to feel at ease. 

“Daenerys Targaryen,” she began, taking both of Dany’s hands into her own. “How are we doing today?” 

“We’re good,” Dany replied. “We seem to be pregnant.” 

“So I see from your chart. I have to admit, when I read it, I thought it might be a mistake. And is this your fellow?” 

“Yes,” Jon said, stepping forward from his place against the wall. “I’m Jon. Pleased to meet you, doctor.” 

“Jon’s my fiancé.” 

“Well done, my girl. You’ll certainly have a beautiful child.” 

Doctor Redwyne winked at Jon. 

“I’m still a little unsure about how this is all even possible.” 

“Well Daenerys, sometimes it’s hard to say,” Dr. Redwyne said, sitting on a rolling stool. “Sometimes there aren’t any answers, as unhelpful as that is. I’ve had patient who couldn’t have children, they’d adopt a child and lo and behold within a year or two they’d get pregnant. We’ll do an exam to make sure everything is alright, look at your blood tests in a few days to see if we get any answers, but there may not be a precise medical reason other than a change in certain hormone levels. I’ll ask you to step out for a few moments, Jon. This isn’t the fun part of the exam, anyway. I’ll have the nurse call you back in when it’s time for the show. Coffee is hot in the waiting area.”

Dany gave Jon a reassuring nod, letting him know she was in good hands. He gave her a kiss on the forehead and wandered over into the next room. Taking Dr. Redwyne’s advice. He poured himself a cup of coffee and took a seat. They had snagged one of the first appointments of the day and now there were only two other women in the waiting room, one of them being accompanied by a young boy. Jon estimated that he was probably no older than hour and he was playing on the floor with a toy motorcycle. 

As he watched the child play, Jon couldn’t help but imagine what  _ his _ child would be like, whether they would be a boy or a girl. If they would look more like Dany or like him. There were so many things he was worried and frankly scared about. He’d be finishing up school in the autumn, taking bar exam as soon as that was finished and then trying to find a job at the exact same time the baby was to arrive. It was true, he had money from the trust his father had set up for him before he died, and Dany would be working until she went on leave, but it was all enough to set Jon’s head spinning. Toss in the fact that he was also trying to sort out his life and how Rhaegar Togarion fit into it and it seemed like a three-ring-circus. 

Jon was pulled from his thoughts when he felt something hit his sneaker. He glanced down and saw the toy motorcycle lying next to his foot and the boy it belonged to looking at him expectantly. He reached down, picked the toy up and got up to hand it to the child. 

“What do you say, Jac?” his mother said, nudging him. 

“Thanks!” he replied in a small voice, taking the motorcycle back.

“Do you have children?” the woman asked. 

“One on the way,” Jon replied with a polite smile. “Our first.” 

“I could have guessed as much.” 

“Is it that obvious? What gave it away?” 

“I’m not sure if it was the twiddling thumbs or the staring off into space.” 

“This is the first appointment so I didn’t know what to expect.” 

“The end is the best part. You’ll see why. I’m on my third now.” 

“Mr. Snow?” the nurse called. “You can come on back again.” 

“Right, thanks for the chat,” Jon said to the woman before following the nurse into the exam room again. 

Dany was laid back half way and smiled at Jon as he took his place by her side up near her head. On the opposite side of the bed was an ultrasound machine that the nurse was prepping for Doctor Redwyne to use. 

“Are you two ready for the show?” she asked them. 

“What show? Jon asked. 

“We get to see the baby for the first time,” Dany explained. “And hear its heartbeat.” 

“So far, everything has been wonderfully normal. This will help us see how big the fetus is at this stage and from that, together with everything else, we can make out how far along you are and pinpoint a due date. Are we ready?” 

“Ready,” Dany said, taking Jon’s hand and squeezing it lightly. 

“I’m going to adjust your gown like so,” Doctor Redwyne said, pulling a blanket up over Dany’s legs and moving her gown up to expose her stomach. “Now this might be a bit cool…” 

With a shake and a squirt she applied the ultrasound gel, causing Dany to squirm slightly, despite the warning. Doctor Redwyne spread the gel around with the ultrasound transducer and as she held it in place, pressing it into Dany’s lower abdomen, a rapid heartbeat began to fill the room and a grainy image appeared on the screen. 

“What’s that sound?” Jon asked, though Dany already knew the answer. 

“That is your baby’s heartbeat.” 

“But it’s so fast.” 

“Pretty common for a baby,” Dany explained, hoping to calm the worried expression on his face. 

“Very normal,” the doctor agreed. “And another good sign. But here’s the best part. Do you see here on the screen?” 

She used an arrow cursor to point out a small, pulsating shape on the monitor. 

“That is your baby.” 

“Wow,” Dany said, her voice thick with wonder and emotion. 

“It’s so tiny,” Jon added. 

“Tiny for now, but as you can see already starting to look like a baby. Right now, the head seems much bigger than the body, but the rest will catch up in time. From the looks of things I’d say you’re very nearly eleven weeks along. Most women come in sooner, but given your history and circumstances, I can see why you didn’t.” 

“Nearly three months along,” Jon said, glancing at Dany and seeing tears glistening in her eyes. 

“If you look here, you can see an arm.” 

“Can you tell what it is yet?” Dany asked. 

“Not just yet. That comes sometime between sixteen to twenty weeks, so right around your mid-pregnancy ultrasound. By that time the baby is developed enough for their little bits to be visible on the screen. I take it you’d like to know?” 

“We haven’t really talked about it yet. Maybe I’d like it to be a surprise.” 

“Do we get pictures of this?” Jon asked, his eyes glued to the screen. 

“Of course. Why don’t you follow me to my office,” Doctor Redwyne said. We’ll get you pictures and a video file of this while the nurse helps get Dany cleaned up. Then we’ll chat some about due dates, dos and don’ts, and I’ll send you on your way with a prescription for some prenatal vitamins.” 

XXXXX

“The baby is due the week after you’re scheduled to take the bar exam,” Dany said later that afternoon when they’d finally returned home. 

She was glad she had decided to take a full day off from work. When they’d left the doctor’s office they first stopped at a chemist to pick up her vitamins and then to the grocer for other essential food items they needed. It was already mid-afternoon when they made it back to their flat. 

“Good timing, right?” Jon asked, putting things into the fridge. “We’ll be alright.” 

“Oh, I know. And really, isn’t it better if they’re born  _ after _ you take the exam?” 

“Definitely. So, I did some math and I think it happened at Sunspear.” 

“What happened at Sunspear?” 

“You’re eleven weeks pregnant, right?” 

“Right…” 

“Where were we eleven weeks ago?” 

“Oh seven hells,” Dany cursed with a laugh. “I guess it’s impossible to know  _ which _ time at Sunspear it was. That’s amazing though.” 

“They should add that to their advertising. Sunspear: Magical Baby-making Paradise.” 

They both laughed hard at that and Jon caught Dany around the waist, pulling her close to him. He kissed her nose and rested his forehead against hers. 

“Hey, I love you,” he said. 

“And I love you, too.” 

“How many people have you sent pictures of the ultrasound to?” 

“Just Sansa, Arya, and Missandei. You?” 

“Sam and Bran. That’s all.” 

“I think Sansa and Arya are coming down in a week or so to help pick out bridesmaid dresses.” 

“And staying here?” 

“Yes? Where else would they stay? They can share the queen bed in the spare room.” 

“Won’t be a spare room for much longer now, will it?” Jon asked. 

“No, I suppose not. We could get a sleeper sofa in case we have guests.” 

“Or we could get a bigger place. Maybe a house…” 

“I don’t know that we can afford a house in King’s Landing on my salary,” Dany said. 

“I’ll be working soon enough and I’ve got-” 

“I know, I know. You’ve got your trust fund, but do you really want to spend it on something like this?” 

“What else should we spend it on? My dad set it up so that I’d be taken care of. Now I want to use  _ some _ of it so that my family is taken care of.” 

Dany wasn’t sure why, but the idea of Jon’s trust fund always made her somewhat uncomfortable. Maybe it was because her parents had died and left her with virtually nothing, but she didn’t really think it had anything to do with jealousy. It was more or less a feeling of guilt. She felt guilty that Jon would want to use  _ his _ trust fund on something for her. If he hadn’t gone into the Night’s Watch, the trust fund would have paid for his education and law school. As it was, that was all paid for by his time in the service, even if it had been cut short. 

She wasn’t naive. She knew that they wouldn’t be able to live in their flat forever. Sometimes she and Jon felt like they were living on top of each other, add to that another, albeit small, person along with everything a baby would need and it was easy to see how they would need more space. 

“We could start looking just after the wedding,” Dany tentatively suggested. 

“Sounds perfect,” Jon agreed. “If we find something we love, we can pursue it. If not, then we’ll hold off and wait.” 

“It doesn’t have to be anything huge or lavish. I don’t need anything over the top. I don’t want a palace, Jon. Just as long as I get to be with you.” 

XXXXX

Dany had just finished writing up case notes from the last of her evaluations. It was Friday and by the time she got home, Jon should have made it back from the airport with Sansa and Arya in tow. Over the past week, she had quite literally blown up their phones with texts and pictures of potential dresses for them and for herself. Now that they had pushed the wedding up, opting for a more intimate affair in late summer, her original dress was no longer an option. The fact that she would also be five months pregnant at the wedding and just starting to show enough didn’t help matters much. 

Jon had it so much easier. His best man, Sam, and two groomsmen, Bran and Gendry, along with his ushers, Tormund and Davos, would all wear grey slacks and vests with white shirts. He’d be wearing the same, but with a tie. 

_ Men have it so easy _ , Dany thought, saving the file she was working on and closing the lid to her laptop. She was sliding it into her purse when her co-worker Margaery popped her head into her office. 

“Someone’s here to see you, Dany,” she said. 

“I thought Jon was just bringing his sisters straight to the flat,” Dany shrugged. “Tell them I’ll be right out.” 

“It’s not Jon, but it is a guy. Says he’s your brother? Judging by his hair color I’m guessing that’s about right.” 

“What?” Dany asked looking up at Margaery. 

Surely her friend and coworker had been mistaken. The last time she had seen her brother had been two years ago when he had been waiting outside of her old apartment building front door, completely strung out and looking for money to score another hit. She hadn’t the faintest idea how he even found out where she lived and he had scared her so much that she gave him a couple hundred dollars she had stashed away in her wallet for emergencies just to get him to leave and then waited until she was sure he was gone and asked Missandei to come over and spend the night with her. She ended up sleeping with the lights on for the better part of a week. 

“You do have a brother, right?” 

“No, I mean yes,” she blinked. “I do, but I haven’t seen him in years.” 

“Do you want me to send him away? He’s waiting in the lobby.” 

“No, tell him I’ll see him in conference room B. And would you check on us in 5 minutes?” 

“Of course. I’ll give you a minute before I show him in.” 

Dany’s legs felt like lead as she stood from her desk and made her way to the conference room. She had chosen it because it was enclosed in glass on two of the four walls. It would be hard for Viserys to do anything with a few sets of eyes watching them. She sat facing the door, attempting in vain to take in a few calming breaths when Margaery appeared at the door again. 

“Here we are,” she said politely, motioning for Viserys to enter the room before making pointed eye contact with Dany. “Let me know if you need anything else.” 

The man who stood before her was almost completely unrecognizable. He looked...like an old pictures she had of their mother and father on their wedding day, one of the only photographs she had of her parents. Two years ago his hair had been long, greasy, and scraggly. It seemed like he had not bathed in at least a week. Now he had much shorter hair, perfectly cropped and styled. His clothes were simple, just a pair of black slim trousers and a burgundy button-up shirt, the sleeves partially rolled up. 

“Hello Dany,” he said tentatively, standing awkwardly just inside the doorway. “You look as though you’ve seen a ghost.” 

“I think maybe I have,” she replied, consciously closing her mouth that she was sure was hanging open. 

“It’s good to see you. You’re looking well.”

“How in seven hells did you find me? How did you find out where I work?” 

“I’m sorry,” he frowned, sitting down in the chair across from her. “I asked around and found you. I...wanted to call, but I was afraid you wouldn’t take my call or agree to see me.” 

“You’re probably not wrong,” Dany admitted. 

“Again, I’m sorry about that. I wanted to give you this.” 

Viserys reached his hand into his pocket and fished around before pulling out a small coin and placing it on the table in front of Dany. 

“What’s this?” she asked, raising her eyebrow. 

“Look at it,” he urged her. “Please.” 

She reached out and picked up the coin, turning it over in her hand and reading the inscription. There was some writing in Valyrian and a number one inscribed above the word  _ Recovery.  _ She had seen similar coins before, from some of her own clients as a matter of fact. The weight of the coin and what it meant was not lost on her. 

“I’m not sure what to say…” she said. 

“I don’t expect you to say anything,” Viserys replied. “Honestly. I came here to apologize for what happened two years ago. I was in a dark place, but I’ve gotten help. A few months after our last encounter I checked myself into rehab. It didn’t take right away, but I guess third time might be a charm because, as that coin proves, I’ve been sober for a year. Well, a year and fourteen days to be exact.” 

“That’s great to hear. I’m...proud of you, really.” 

She reached across the table to give the coin back to her brother and he held on to her hand for a few moments. 

“You’re married?” he asked, eyeing her ring. 

“No,” she replied. “Not yet. Engaged.” 

“I’m happy for you. You deserve to be happy, Dany.” 

“So do you, Vis.” 

“I’m not so sure about that. Things I’ve done...I’m just trying to make right the wrongs that I’ve done. I was awful to you.” 

“You were high on drugs. You didn’t mean-” 

“I can’t use drugs as an excuse,” he said firmly. “I made a  _ choice _ to do what I did. I have to hold myself accountable.” 

“I understand,” Dany nodded. She was about to add something else when Margaery appeared and rapped at the door. 

“I’m sorry to interrupt,” she said. “But you’ve got a call about the case you were working on earlier. They say it’s urgent. Should I take a message?” 

“No, no,” Viserys said, glancing back at Margaery and beginning to stand up. “Take the call, I should be going anything.” 

“Put the call on hold for a moment and I’ll take it in my office,” Dany instructed Margaery. “I’m...I’m glad you came by, Vis. And I’m happy you got the help you needed.” 

“Thanks,” he smiled. “Do you think...do you think we could meet sometime?” 

“Viserys, I’m not sure-” 

“Just for coffee or something. I’d just like to catch up. I feel like there is so much I’ve missed.” 

“I’ll think about it,” Dany replied. “Leave your number at the front desk and I’ll text you.” 

“Alright. See you around, I hope.” 

XXXXX

“You’re not going to meet with him again, are you?” Jon asked Dany as they sat around their kitchen table with Sansa and Arya. 

“I don’t know,” she replied, spooning another helping of takeout onto her plate. “I was considering it.” 

“Dany, this is the guy who threatened you two years ago, remember?” 

“He’s not though. He looked so different. I haven’t seen him that put together since we were kids. He’s been clean a year.” 

“And you believe that?” 

She stared at him and narrowed her eyes. The last thing she wanted to do was have an argument about Viserys in front of Sansa and Arya. This was supposed to be a fun weekend and it was already off to a rocky start. She knew that he was being protective of her. He didn’t want to see her hurt by her brother yet again. 

“Yes, I do.” 

“Why? What good reason has he given you to trust him? To believe him?” 

“Because he’s my brother, Jon!” she nearly yelled. “Because he’s the only family I have left.” 

The kitchen was so quiet they could have heard a pin drop. No one made a sound or dared to move a muscle. Even Arya stopped chewing and glanced between Jon and Dany. 

“I just hate what he did to you,” Jon explained, shaking his head. He reached over and set his hand on top of Dany’s hand. “And I don’t want to see it happen again.” 

“It won’t,” she said emphatically. “But he reached out to me. He made the effort for the first time in his life and I just...I can’t give up on him. This is something I need to do. Do you understand?” 

“Alright. If this is something you feel like you need to do…” 

“It is. I have to at least  _ try _ .” 

“This might come as a shock to everyone,” Arya piped up, using the momentary pause in conversation to steer things to a lighter place. She stood from the table and reached into the fridge to pull out a brown paper bag. “But I let Sansa pick out the dessert and she chose, drumroll please….” 

Dany smiled at Jon who merely shrugged his shoulder and playfully rolled his eyes. They humored Arya by imitating the sound of a drumroll on the table top while she dug into the bag and pulled out its contents. 

“A lemon cake.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Doctor Redwyne is very loosely based on Lady Olenna, but probably a bit younger in this fic than she is in the show. I love Olenna so much and I wanted some way to incorporate her into this fic. 
> 
> Feedback is MUCH appreciated!

**Author's Note:**

> This prologue is the short fic "His Old Shirt". After I wrote it I couldn't get the story out of my head and thanks to a few friends I was able to outline a fic based off of it.


End file.
